The Return of the Silver Wolves
by MoonlightAngels2
Summary: Kyoga and Ayame (MC) are living a happy engagement, until things start changing. Will Ayame be able to survive the cards dealt to her? How will Kyoga keep things together when hungry eyes narrow in on what his? Will a blast from the past undo them all? Read and find out!
1. Chapter 1

**Here is the first chapter of mine and Wolf'sBlueIris74 collaboration story! Enjoy :)**

 **Omg thanks Wolf'sBlueIris74 for editing this! :D**

 **Disclaimer: We do not own Enchanted In The Moonlight**

* * *

 **Ayame's P.O.V**

"Ayame!"

I turn around to see who was calling my name it's my friend Ikumi. I consider her my good friend and a co-worker. I can tell she is anxious about something I wonder what it's?

"Yeah was is it, Ikumi?" I said in a whisper. We are working, especially in the library we need indoor voices.

"Oh! Sorry for the shout…I wanted to ask you something, are you going to Mizuki's baby shower this weekend?" Ikumi asked curiously as she ties up her long black hair up in a ponytail.

(That's right!) I thought to myself. I need to go get her a gift, wait what is she having, again?

"I almost forgot it's her baby shower this weekend. Yes, I would love to go! Was she having a boy, or a girl?" I ask with a smile. Why am I getting excited about this topic…

"You forgot? This isn't like you Ayame…she told us when she found out she was pregnant that's why she is working less because it's more work for her. Are you feeling well?" Izumi ask with full of concern.

"I just have a lot on my mind." I said in quivering voice as I continue stocking books back on the shelves, "So tell me, what is she having?"

"She is having a boy, but," Izumi began with a slight frown, "Is everything going well with Kyoga?"

Why would she ask me that? All because I forgot my co-worker's baby shower and what the gender was. Geez, I am starting to get annoy which is odd because I don't normally get mad at Izumi.

I put the last book up with force and turn my direction to her with fierce eyes, "YES! There is nothing wrong with me and Kyoga, things are great actually. Look I admit I been forgetting some stuff lately but it's not a big deal." I snapped.

After I just realized what I said, Izumi gives me a worried look and I instantly feel terrible snapping at her. Normally I never do that to my friends, I sometimes snap at the Akayashi. Man what is wrong of me? Maybe it's because I haven't really been sleeping well, tossing and turning and having weird dreams lately?

"I-I am sorry Izumi. I am going to leave work early today, I think I am just tired." As I fast said and walk away. I never felt so bad before! I got to admit I been feeling strange lately…I don't know why…

* * *

I walk outside listening to my black pumps stomping on the brick cement, as the breeze makes my long brunette hair fly in the wind. Till I hear a familiar voice to stop me.

"Ayame!"

I turned around to find Kyoga running up to me. He had a concern face but he tried to act normal. "Hey why are you leaving work early?" Does he always come to get me so early, or did Izumi call him? I feel my blood heat up under my skin at the thought, before rethinking... I was being ridiculous.

What is going on with my weird mood swings is not a big deal, maybe it was just about that time again. I looked up into Kyoga's face now, I don't want him to worry, he already has a lot on his plate being the head of his clan. "I am just tired so I left early…"

Kyoga stood before me leaning his weight slightly onto one leg as his hand rested on his hip under his jacket. He is so tall and handsome. I admired the way sun was hitting his smooth face and lighting up his deep green eyes making them look even more beautiful than usual…why do I want to kiss him so bad right now? My body moves on it's on and suddenly I am kissing him sweetly.

This caught Kyoga off guard as he is blushing like a rose and questions calmly, "A-Ayame! You feelin' okay?…I mean you don't normally like showing public affection? Don't get me wrong I really enjoyed it -."

When he points that out I notice a lot of people are staring at us, I feel like it's me. I felt so embarrassed and mortified with my sudden actions. I feel my face flame up with a heat that stains my ears. "I am going!" I ran away from the scene feeling Kyoga follow after me.

* * *

 **Kyoga's P.O.V**

I am going after Ayame, but damn! How is she running so fast... and in those heels? She must have been working out because, wow, this is fast speed even for a human. Working out or not I feel like something is wrong with her, I can sense it. I have noticed she's been on edge lately like getting moody a lot. She's also been forgetting a lot of things. Like for example, when we went to bed last night I wanted to make passionate love with her, under the covers till I smelt something terrible, my weakness which was fabric softener.

I remember she felt terrible, because she stop using the fabric softener when we started courting. This is the first time she forgot something important. Was I doing something wrong? I have no idea, but I've got to calm her down! I made sure no one was around till I pick up the speed and made a huge jump in front of Naomi. It startled her, she gasped and I watched in slow motion, the shock play interesting across her face... it kind of turned me on. She was just about to fall back until I wrapped my arms around her holding her secure just as I always had.

"Naomi are you okay?" I asked as I steadied her on her feet but didn't let go of her waist. Her eyes never left mine as she slowly nodded, a small blush painting her cheeks.

"Talk to me, what is wrong?" I watched as emotions I could only begin to decipher flitter across her face. Girls had always been difficult and emotional, but human girls, I found to be even more confusing. They were weak in some aspects but Naomi had always been different. Her emotions puzzled me at times and she'd often try to play them off as nothing. She would act tough enough to convenience the other Akayashi, but to me it was one of the things that attracted me to her.

I watched her eyes settle in pain, not physically but emotionally. Her eyes teared up and I hugged her tightly to my chest. When I did that she started crying in my arms, and I petted her head. The scent from her hair wafted up to me...Kami she smells amazing, even more than usual…but I got to restrain. I don't want to make her freak out again.

"Kyoga…"

"Yes, my little devil." I smirk when I said that, it made Ayame giggle. She loves it when I say it too her.

"Can we go and eat an early dinner?"

"Yes where would you like to go?"

"Steak."

"What?"

"I am craving steak, actually I am craving anything meat…can we go?"

After hearing that I got super excited and grab her hand, "You got it. Let's go! I know a great place where they make good meat."

As we walk, I look at her at the corner of my eye, and I don't know why but she has been acting different. For one she wants meat…odd?

* * *

 **Author's Notes-Here is the first chapter! Thank you so much for reading :) Wolf'sBlueIris74 will type the next chapter.**

 **-JayDeeNinja421**

 **Review**

 **Peace Out!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Hey readers! This is Wolf'sblueIris74! I am so excited about this story and it only keeps getting better as we write it so I hope you all stick around and share with friends. I have decided to rate this story "T" for Teen simply because of the languages that may be used and some... well steamy situations, I can't promise it wont go up from there though, LOL (the characters often have a mind of their own). I encourage helpful criticism but I do ask that you keep the flames down!**

 **We do not own Enchanted in the moonlight... although I wish I did own a certain wolf ;) Happy reading!**

* * *

 **Ayame's POV**

(Yum!) I thought as my steak came sizzling out. It was nice for Kyoga to take me out to eat. It's wonderful for it to just be the two of us every now and then.

Across the table, Kyoga had ordered a steak as well, but his was rarer than mine. The smell of red meat made my mouth water. I normally don't care for red meats a whole lot, but maybe today I was anemic and that's why it just sounded so good.

I bit into my steak and it melted into my mouth. Kyoga was looking at me from across the table I noticed.

"W-what?" I asked exasperated.

"I've never seen you enjoy 'meat' like that." he teased grinning pitifully. I felt my cheeks redden at the sudden innuendo.

"I-It just sounded good tonight, that's it." flustered by his playful banter. The table sounded with his husky laughter, that stirred something… a desire within me.

I looked down at the table in my own embarrassment for such thoughts. I took another bite of steak, as Kyoga continued to tease me about my reddened face through dinner.

* * *

 **Ayame's POV**

Walking home was a pleasure in and of itself. In the light summer heat and a fully stomach, it brought back memories of my childhood when everything felt this simple.

Kyoga and I were walking down the street close to the house with a little space between us, but tonight felt different. I knew that I did't normally resort to a whole lot of PDA in public, but for tonight I realized I just didn't care. I loved him.

I stepped closer to Kyoga and laid my head lightly on his chest. My body hummed with good food and his contact only made it hum louder with content. Was it odd after being told that I had to choose an Akayashi to have a child with, that I would pick him and feel this safe in his arms?

I closed my eyes and smiled softly to myself. I felt him pull away at first at my unexpected actions, then I felt him lace his arm over my shoulder pulling me closer to him as we continued walking home.

Along one of the streets I saw a shop and paused. It was a baby store with lots of cute little items in the window.

"What is it?" Kyoga asked when I stopped walking. He followed my gaze and I felt him stiffen a little. Kyoga didn't like stores all that much to begin with, and I assumed he followed my train of thought.

Normally I would just go shopping by myself, but I needed to get something for Mizuki's baby shower. I quickly explained to Kyoga why I needed to go shopping.

"Humans do that kind of thing?" He asked surprised. I laughed, the guys truly had very little experiences with the human world.

"Of course! Your women don't do anything similar in the village?" I asked, curious if they had some kind of traditions themselves.

"Not anything as extravagant as that." was his reply. He sighed and pulled me into the shop. Ill make this quick.

I looked around the store, not sure what to buy, so I thought I'd settle for a small 'mommy-baby' care package. I picked up lots of creams and lotions that Kyoga scrunched his nose at of course. I even found a small cute basket with a blue bow and a small stuffed dog.

The dog had small brown ears that reminded me of Kyoga's. I smiled at my own thought as I looked at the dog.

"What are you thinking?" I whipped around and saw Kyoga leaning with his arm resting on top of the shelf and the other jammed into his pant pocket. (Kami, would this guy stop trying to stop my heart today?)

The sun was setting through the shop window and had cast an orange glow into the shop. The golden light played over Kyoga's tan skin exemplifying his toned muscles of his neck. His mouth was curved into a smirk that flooded his eyes with a devilish playfulness. I was at a loss for words as my eyes wondered to his chiseled chest that laid under his slightly suggestive shirt.

I watched, wide-eyed, like a little rabbit caught in the eyes of a hungry wolf. I watched as his grin grew larger.

"See anything you want?" he jested aware of my wondering eyes. I blushed hard and turned my eyes down to the dog in my hands.

"Y-yes!" I said. "I-I think I am done!" I stuttered flustered with being caught. I went to move to go check out, when Kyoga took the stuffed dog from my hands and looked at it closely.

"Is this what you are getting?" He asked.

"Yes."

"Doesn't look like the real thing" he mused.

"It's not supposed to! A real wolf like you would probably scare the poor thing!" I said tryin to tease him a little. "Although the ears are spot on."

"My ears don't look like that!"

I didn't say anything back as I laughed as I paid for the things. As we walked out of the store I clung to his arm as we walked home again.

* * *

 **Ayame's POV**

The next morning I woke up earlier than usual wrapped deep in Kyoga's arms. My hair was spread every where over our pillow from the events of last night.

Kyoga had pinned me down and made passionate love to me last night since the other guys had made an over night trip to the village. I nestled myself back into his chest, loving his musky scent. This was heaven, as he pulled my closer in his sleep.

I was nearly back asleep when Miyabi busted in.

"Wake up, lazy wolf!"

"What the hell do you think you're doing?!" I stated, my heart beating out of my chest. We never put cloths back on last night and I grasped for the covers around us.

"I'm waking you guys up, it's rude to -," he paused (Oh Kami!). His eyes slid over my disheveled body, hungrily. "apparently you guys had a busy night of your own last night! How rude of me/" he said smiling in a way that made a shiver roll down my spine.

Miabyi reached down and grabbed my chin and made me look into his eyes, "…Or maybe you'd be ready for a second round with me, instead of this lazy wolf." His long fingers tracing the mark on my neck.

I was shocked speechless as his eye devoured my body beneath the sheets. "D-dirty fox!" I said closing my eyes tightly. (Kyoga!)

Next to me Kyoga moved possessively over my body, blocking it from Miyabi's piecing gaze.

"Leave!" was the only word Kyoga spoke to Miyabi. His eyes deadly as his word. I froze where I was at this new revelation. I had never seen Kyoga act so possessively before.

"Fine, Fine! Just wanted to offer Ayame a morning of bliss before breakfast." He winked at me as he walked back out of my room.

I felt the tension leave my body when the door shut, I threw myself back down on the bed, letting my heart rate settle down. Was it always this stressful in the mornings?

Kyoga turned back around to me, his face slightly still sleepy and the other still half concerned. Kyoga wasn't much of a morning person and never had been.

"You okay?"

"Yeah. I don't think he saw anything." I said exasperated.

"Good." he said pulling my body back to his, burying his nose into my neck and breathing in my scent.

"I am the only one who gets to see your body," he mumbled. "… I love this scent."

"I probably smell more like you right now." I giggled as his nose tickled my neck.

"No, this scent is all you," he said nipping at my neck playfully. "Your skin always tastes amazing, I could just eat you up." I laughed and squirmed in his arms as he exploited my weaknesses and tickled and nipped at me until I was breathless and panting.

His green eyes looked down at me enrapturing me, making my heart thump pitifully between us. Our eyes slowly closed as our lips neared each others. Then the smell of breakfast cooking hit me.

As soon as the smell hit my nose, my stomach rolled. I was going to be sick. I quickly picked up the sheets and wrapped them around me as I ran out of the door and out of Kyoga's arms.

* * *

 **Well? Tell us how we did and if we can improve this story for you guys! Don't forget to rate and review (R &R), add, and favorite us and our story! until the next chapter coming soon, loves! ;D**

 **_Wolf'sblueiris (WBI)**


	3. Chapter 3

**Ok guys! This is WBI! Sorry it's been a while since our last post, we were turning plot bunnies but finally got them in line! LOL! The little rascals! Anyways, Thank you for the review, those have always been encouraging to me to know that the readers, you guys, are into the story as much as I love this story! I hope that it reads like the game does and you can identify with Ayame even with things beginning to change! I hope Kyoga and the others are in tune with themselves and this story runs smoothly. Anyways I wont keep you guys anylong with my little rant but the best of readings to you all!**

 **~Later WBI!**

* * *

 **Kyoga POV**

Ayame ran from the room taking the covers with her leaving me to the chilled morning air. I quickly dressed and followed her scent to the bathroom, from behind the door I could easily tell what was wrong.

I went back to our room and gathered a pair of cloths for Ayame, before I returned and knocked on the door. I didn't wait for an answer. I opened and closed the door behind me.

Ayame was still leaning over the toilet, her face still green, the sheet thrown to the side. I pulled her long hair up and off her neck. The smell was horrible to my nose, but this was one of the down falls of her being human. It was rare for an Akayashi to be sick.

I felt horrible, maybe I should have let her rest last night. They said that humans could get sick from not getting enough rest. I felt her body shake under my hand, I was lost to know how to make her feel better.

Her face was covered in a cold sweat, but it seemed the color was slowly coming back to her face. I grabbed a small towel and wet it in cool water. I wiped her forehead before placing it on the back of her neck.

"Are you okay?" I asked, not really sure what else to do. She nodded and leaned back up, taking a deep breath. I felt her forehead but there was no fever, but that didn't stop me from being concerned.

"Maybe you should call in sick today." I said. Putting her first was my job. I was surprised when she took a tone.

"I said that I was fine!" she said shrugging my hand off her shoulder, anger laced her words. I felt the works hit their mark.

"I am just concerned about you!" I said angrily and hurt. I watched as her eyes widened and tears formed in her eyes. _(what in the world?)_

"I… I am sorry. I didn't mean to snap at you. Kami what wrong with me?" she asked tears flowing down her cheeks. I sighed, my anger melting away. _(What I wouldn't do for this girl…?)_

I pulled her to my chest and just held her. Which wasn't the easiest thing in the world to do, seeming as she was still naked. I softly patted her head, and apologized myself.

"Nothings wrong with you." I soothed her, rubbing her back, fighting the urge to rub even lower. I felt her slowly began to calm down again as I cradled her in my arms.

By now the other guys would be waiting for us in the living room. Knowing Shinra, he would be a pain until he ate, like every morning.

"I brought you your cloths. I hope they are okay."

"They are good. Thank you!" Her voice was small and shy. There was no way I had a chance of _NOT_ falling in love with her. I smiled down at her, I hope that she knew that.

I gave Ayame the cloths I picked up for her and kissed her on the forehead, before I left her to get ready.

* * *

 **Ayame's POV**

I felt absolutely horrible. My emotions where all over the place, yet even though I chewed him out he still treats me like that. I looked into the mirror at myself. My eyes were puffy and bags were beginning to form under my eyes. I looked horrible.

Something told me that Kyoga would not be the only one concerned about me since I practically streaked down the hall in only a sheet this morning. I was so embarrassed, there was no way that that went unnoticed.

I quickly dressed and made sure to brush my teeth good before heading to the living room. Shinra was irritable as usual, I had taken longer than I normally did in the mornings. However I was feeling completely fine now.

I settled for just a bowel of rice as the guys ate a ton like they normally did all the time. No one brought up my incident, however Samon did exchange a worried look with me to which I shook my head at his unspoken question. I really felt fine.

After breakfast, I was ready to walk out the door to go to work. Kyoga was seeing me off. Normally he walks me to work, but today he had to return to the village and would be working late into the evening.

"Are you sure you're going to be okay at work? I don't want you getting sick again if I can't be there to take care of you."

I looked up into his eyes. They were completely serious, he rarely shows this side of himself to me. However, its at times like these that I can really tell how much he cares about me. Again I feel horrible about how I acted earlier.

"Yeah, I'll be fine. It's past. But I truly am sorry about what I said earlier. I wish there was a way to take back my words or repay you." I said looking down at the floor by my feet.

At that moment I was pulled into his broad chest, his musky scent enveloping me. My eyes flew open as his arms wrapped around my small waist. I heard him breathing in deep, his face pressed into my hair. I felt my face flush and breathed in deeply as well, letting it go of the stress that had been building inside of me.

"It's going to be a long night tonight, this right here is enough. You should go to bed early tonight, I kept you up too late last night." I looked up into his eyes again, suddenly I felt like kissing him again. My body, like yesterday, moved on it's own and I kissed him slowly. I wrapped my arms around his neck not wishing to be anywhere else.

All too soon, I felt Kyoga's mouth curve up into an amused grin, breaking the kiss.

"You're greedy today, but if you waste anymore time…" Kyoga pulled me into him again and whispered into my ear. "You're going to be late. Unless you want to explain to your coworkers why you are so late this morning." He chuckled darkly.

My whole face burned at his words. He was right though, I never acted like this! Kyoga laughed and pecked my lips one more time before he playfully popped me on my butt, pushing me out the door. I was glad things between us had gone back to normal.

* * *

 **Ayame's POV**

I really was going to be late. I was nearly a block from the library when something felt odd to me. I looked over my shoulder. Nothing looked out of the ordinary, so why did I feel like someone was looking at me?

The hair on my neck stood up giving me Goosebumps even though the morning was warm. I felt like something bad was going to happen. I couldn't shake the feeling when….

"Ayame!"

I whipped around at the sound of my name being called out. I saw Ikumi running up to me out of breath. I chuckled, the moment from earlier falling out of thought.

"So, you're running… late as… well?" she panted leaning over her knees trying to catch her breath.

"Yeah, I wasn't feeling my A game when I woke up." I skimmed the truth, trying to keep her from worrying about me. I hated lying to people, but in this case it really wasn't a lie anyways.

"Yeah… My… My alarm clock didn't go off. I think my power went out sometime last night."

Last night there had been a storm, but it seems like it had hit late into the night, I hadn't even heard it come though. I nodded in understanding.

"We had better hurry. I don't want to be reprimanded for being late when we are this close." Ikumi said smiling having caught her breath. She was a ball of joy in the mornings, I loved working with her.

I nodded again, smiling myself, and we made haste to the library together. They eyes from earlier forgotten, but not gone.

* * *

 **Dun-dun-duuuun! LOL cliffys are my specialties guys, and I'm sorry I have such a sadistic talent, that only gets worse! I plan to get the next chapter up as soon as J-Ninja has her fun with it. So hopefully this wont hurt too bad! ;) Don't forget to rate and review for us. Tell us what you like and don't like, I will read everything you guys send us! So until next time ;) ~WBI**


	4. Chapter 4

**Hey guys I am back again! Anyways, here is the story! Enjoy! ^.^**

 **~WBI**

* * *

 **Ayame's POV:**

I sighed deeply. This was obviously going to be a long day. I was stretched out trying to put some books back on an upper shelf , but now my lower back was hurting a little.

I relaxed my posture, hoping to just work through the pain for now. It wasn't bad, just really uncomfortable. I wondered how Kyoga was doing. Him and the Tora clan had been working together for sometime now, but it seemed as if there where still some issues that needed to be compromised on. I smiled to myself, it wasn't anything Kyoga couldn't handle.

The only issue that had been a concern, not that he would ever let me know about it, but the elders of his clan were pushing him to marry me and settle down. I thought about a future like that with Kyoga, it would be nice, however I was still really young. I don't think I was ready to settle down just yet, in fact it intimidated me, having kids. Would I be able to be a good mother? I knew without a doubt Kyoga would be an excellent father. It was obvious how the kids in the village loved him, they were all so cute.

I thought about my parents, they weren't around anymore, but I always wondered what would they say about how I lived my life. I remember my mother and father very well. They deeply loved each other and me, but they had always told me to be careful with the choices I made. When they passed, it was the hardest thing I had to do. It saddened me to know that they would never be able to meet Kyoga, or that my mother would never to help me with the difficulties of raising a child of my own.

I was still lost in my thoughts when Ikumi came over to me.

"Ayame, you look tired. Let me help you." She smiled.

"Really? Thank you! My back is starting to stiffen on me today." I told her, completely thankful for her helpfulness.

"Oh, it's no problem at all. Did you not sleep good last night either?"

I had told Ikumi that I had been having really crazy dreams recently. My dreams were about a girl with long dark hair from traditional Japan. I felt connected to her somehow, in ways that I couldn't begin to describe.

The dreams were often pleasant enough, taking place out on the country side with her much younger sister. The girls would laugh as they did their chores, but things drastically changed one day.

The scene was covered in blood, fear, and death. The girl's parents had been murdered in front of their own eyes by a monster in human form with red eyes. From that day forward the girl swore to avenge her parents deaths, and to one day procure a safe place for her little sister. The girls were relocated to a nearby village where the girl worked hard to provide for the two of them. She took up swordsmanship and learned to use her body's weaknesses and the weakness of her opponents to her advantage.

The girl although incredibly beautiful, became just as deadly, and quickly out spared most of the men in the village. These dreams often played like a long forgotten memory to me, but they troubled me and my sleep reflected it.

"I… I had a long night last night." I stuttered remembering _all_ that happened last night and blushed. Of course Ikumi noticed.

"I apologize," She laughed awkwardly, "So did you get a gift for Mizuki's shower tomorrow?" she asked quietly placing a book back on the shelf.

"Yeah, I found the cutest little stuffed dog. I am going to make a mother-baby basket, so I bought a lot of little things to go in it. Did you get her something?" I asked excitedly.

"Well of course! I found the cutest little outfit the other day! I can't wait to see him, I bet he's going to be gorgeous!" She squealed happily. I laughed at her enthusiasm placing the last book on the top self. My arms ached reaching so high.

"I'm sure! Mizuki and Hayate are a good looking couple, it's only natural." I added my own complement. We continued our conversation on our way to the break room for a quick lunch.

"So, when do you think you and Kyoga are going to tie the knot?" Ikumi asked as we walked. I immediately blanched, blushing crimson. I was doing a lot of blushing lately, but to ask a question so bluntly.

"I- I'm not really sure." I stuttered.

"But you guys have been going out for a while now, and the way he looks at you, it's obvious how in love he is with you! Don't tell me he's scared of that kind of thing? I heard a lot of guys now are." She asked, concern written all over her face.

"N-no it's not him. I mean we've talked about marriage, but…" I trailed off, confused myself. Ikumi watched my face closely.

"You're scared." It wasn't a question. It was true, I mean he was an Akayashi, I guess in a way without me knowing I was a little intimidated by us getting married. I was nervous about kids already, but I hadn't the slightest idea about how to properly raise an Akayashi. I knew I couldn't tell Ikumi about all this, but maybe I should talk to Kyoga's mother the next time I get a chance?

"I think so. It's just I'm comfortable with how things are now, I don't want to rush into something so complicated yet." I said in a way that conveyed my concerns but left out the details.

Ikumi said something as we walked into the break room, however another smell hit me full in the face as the door opened. Someone had obviously brought fish, and I felt myself turn green. I was going to be sick again.

I turned quickly on my feet and rushed to the nearest bathroom.

* * *

I had barely made it in time, I felt just as bad as I did this morning. I couldn't keep anything down as I lost what was left of my breakfast. My eyes burned and watered.

Ikumi must have followed me since I heard the door swing open and shut again. I felt her thin fingers gather my hair out of my face, until I felt better again. She really was a good friend, but I hated for her to do this for me.

"I- I am sorry" I said feeling my stomach settle again.

"Don't worry about it. Do you feel OK?" she asked. I nodded quickly.

"It's passed now." I said to close the topic.

"Should I call Kyoga to come and get you?" her eyes full of concern. Honestly, I was fine. If she called Kyoga and told him I had gotten sick again he would leave business unattended in the village. I was an adult, I could take care of myself.

"No. I think it was just the smell of the fish. I'm perfectly fine now." I smiled, trying to prove a point. The expression on her face didn't change for a long time, it looked like she was thinking about something, like someone trying to put two and two together. Her eyes widened at me and I looked at her confused.

"Ayame, how long has it been , you know, since you've had your last period?" she asked, I looked at her like she had grown a second head.

"What is all this about?" I asked.

"The dreams, the fatigue, the mood swings. How long have you been sick?" she asked.

"Just this morning and now. Why? You're not thinking that I could be pregnant? Don't worry, I've been on birth control since before Kyoga and I got together two years ago." I said, trying to displace her argument.

"Ayame, have you gained any weight recently?" she continued.

"I mean, I have a little. But I've been eating more red meats recently so I am sure it's just my diet!" Ikumi looked at me hard. She grabbed my hand and pulled me out of the bathroom.

"Ikumi!" I protested as she pulled me a long.

"We are taking the rest of the day off." was all she said.

* * *

After explaining that I had gotten sick, Ikumi asked to escort me home. The street was full of people going out for lunch, as she pulled me along. We were going to her place, but on the way she stopped and bought a couple tests, much to my dissatisfaction.

Once she had me at her apartment she gave me the boxes and told me to take all of them.

"Ikumi, you're being ridiculous!" I said standing with the boxes in hand in the door way to the bathroom. One box would have sufficed!

"Do it!" she shut the door on my face. I sighed, there was no arguing with her when she was like this. I looked at the boxes in my hands, there where three, I guess I had better get started.

After I had completed the tests, all that was left was to wait for the results. It was only five minuets, but it felt like the longest five minuets ever. In my head I kept running the possibilities through my head. Surly I wasn't pregnant and Ikumi was just over reacting, however the more I thought about it, the more uncertain I became. I counted the days since I had my last period, I had missed one but I had never been very regular to begin with.

I felt my hands sweating as Ikumi and I waited in the bathroom, sitting on the counter watching the tests sitting on the edge of the tub.

Five minuets passed and I didn't move to look, I was scared of what they would say. Ikumi saw my hesitancy and picked them up, reading each one. I looked at her my nerves on edge. Ikumi looked up at me then.

"Two out of three say that you're pregnant." she said making sure her voice was neutral. Panic flowed through me, that was not possible! I looked at the tests in her hands, and sure enough Ikumi was right, two out of three had small little plus signs on them. There was no doubt about it, I was pregnant.

My hands went numb, I had never been this scared. There was so much I was not prepared for. What would Kyoga say? Was he ready? We were not even married, not that it mattered much in the mononoke village, but to me it was only proper. What would my coworkers think of me? Is a pregnancy with an Akayashi different than a normal pregnancy? What do I do? I was scared.

"Ayame!" I heard Ikumi calling my name, I was shaking but I couldn't find it in me to respond to her. Before long I ended up sobbing in the arms of my best friend.

* * *

 **Kyoga POV**

I sighed looking down at the papers in front of me. It was so easy to get caught up in spending time with Ayame, that work seemed to just pile up on me. However, times like theses were hard. We had settled all the issues with the Tora clan and both clans have settled into a new peaceful life. But lately there had been attacks on the outer edges of the village, the intruder had yet to be identified.

The whole marriage issue the elders had been pushing had simmered down a bit, since this new enemy had arrived. So far we hadn't made and new enemies, and the Tora claim to not have any part in these new ambushes.

I was burning the midnight candle on this, and had come no closer to figuring things out. The reports said that the attackers blended in with the night, so not one could get a really good look at them, and the had been sure to cover their scent along with any other kind of identifiable evidence. Only one thing was for sure, there only targets had been on my clan. Claw marks had been the cause of death for many and teeth marks had occasionally been reported. The ones responsible had been attacking anyone coming to or from the village that was of Okami decent, men women, and children. If this continued, then the clans numbers would drop dramatically.

My head hurt trying to come up with a decent way to handle this situation. The villagers had been told to avid the surrounding woods, however the woods were essential for life here in the mononoke village. I avoided telling Ayame anything about these attacks as it had nothing to do with her and would only cause her to worry more. I hope she was doing okay, I hated to leave her like I did but I feared bringing her to the village under such circumstances.

"Kyoga!"

"Aoi!" I responded. It wasn't like him to just barge into my office like this. Something was wrong, my hair stood on edge. I had made him my general, so he was supposed to be out running patrols or finding me some more clues to who was responsible for the recent attacks. So why was he here?

"Kyoga, there's been another attack!" he reported. I growled in anger. Even I was getting irritated with this. Recently they had been attacking every night, sometimes more than once, the attacks were getting more and more bold as well. This time I was going out personally while it was fresh.

I ordered Aoi to see to it that the scene wasn't disturbed, and made my way out the room. Looking back into the room, my eyes softened into regret, I might not be going home tonight like I had planned, I only hoped Ayame would understand.

* * *

 **Okay guys! This chapter took a lot of work and ended up being longer than I had anticipated, but the story is coming along nicely! I'm so happy you guys have stuck with us and like the story. I am trying to make the chapters longer and get them out quickly as I can. Please feel free to review or leave us a comment, it helps to know how you guys are liking the story! Happy summer guys!**

 **~WBI**


	5. Chapter 5

**Ayame's P.O.V**

I left Ikumi's apartment. Night fell as I walked home alone, Ikumi insisted of driving me home but I told her that I needed to clear my head…God I am pregnant. How can this happen? Hell I should be thrilled that I am carrying the love of my life's baby…but…

I stare up at the dark sky, the clouds are about to cover the moon, a sign that it's going to rain…I hated getting wet in the rain, I usually bring my umbrella but lack of not remembering things; lately I forgotten. I can make an acceptation because I want the rain to conceal my tears…

The cold rain fell upon me and I didn't mind it one bit. I wanted to take my sweet time getting home, I am too scared to face Kyoga. I am scared that he is not ready to be a father which is understandable, because I don't know if I am ready to be a mother…yet. The worst fear of them all is the baby will be half akayashi; I don't know if I can raise an akashi baby. Just why is this so complicated?

The rain starts falling harder and the temperature drops. The water should feel cold on my skin I suppose, but I can't feel it right now. How was I going to tell Kyoga? But did I really have to tell him? I could just have an abortion... I shook my head, my hair sending water everywhere. Abortion wasn't an option, my parent's didn't raise me to shy away from my problems, I am sure Kyoga felt the same way.

I look of into the forest where Kyoga took me through to the Monoke village the first time. He said he wouldn't be home until very late tonight. The thought made me feel very alone, fresh tears gathered in my eyes.

Suddenly my senses heightened. I felt like someone was watching me... this feeling... I didn't feel safe at all. The rain was coming down in sheets, and my visibility was poor. My body began to shiver as I looked around for the eyes that I felt. Kyoga wasn't here to help me like he usually was, my hands naturally traveled to my stomach as adrenaline course through me. I had to get home where it was safe.

I half jogged my way to the shrine, feeling the eyes following me. It was't long before I saw my house on top of the hill, as I arrive on top I jumped as I heard someone's voice.

"Well look who is all wet? Don't get me wrong it's very hot."

I look at the tree where Miyabi was hanging around, I am really not in the mood for his comments.

"Miyabi, no offense but I am not in the mood." As I walked past him I can feel him follow me inside the house.

I take off my wet high heels and place them on the mat and slip on my pink slippers and proceed to walk through the dining room too my room. I slide my door and close it behind me and slowly unbuttoning my wet top till I feel breathing against my ear…

"My, my, someone is in a feisty mood…" Miyabi whisper.

"H-how did you get in here?" I shouted in surprise, I can feel the adrenaline rush through me again, my heart slamming into my chest.

"Jumpy are we?" Miyabi whispered in my ear, his warm breath tickling my flushed skin. From behind me I feel his warm arms wrapping round my waist holding me in place with my back towards his chest. "Kami, your scent is even more intoxicating than it normally is tonight."

In his arms I feel my body trembling, from the cold or from his proximity I didn't know. My nerves where shot, I felt Miyabi trail his nose from my blood red ear down my neck and over my collar bone. My legs turned to rubber, I felt like I was going to faint. Water dripped down onto the floor where we stood. Tears gathered in my eyes, I wanted Kyoga. I wanted Miyabi's arms to be his, but he wasn't here.

All the emotions I had been feeling up until now flooded my heart, I couldn't take it anymore. If Kyoga couldn't be here then I wanted to be alone.

"Get out.." I whispered trying to control these emotions inside me, it wasn't his fault but I shouldn't yell at Miyabi. Even though I didn't raise my voice, I could not keep all of the venom from coloring my words. Something in my voice must have tipped him off, Miyabi grabbed me by my arm and spun me to face him. For moment he stares into my eyes and his expression changes.

"You're crying…what happened."

I tried shaking him off my arm but he wouldn't let go and it made me angry. "GOD YOU AKAYASHI JUST DON'T LEAVE ME ALONE! THIS IS MY HOME NOT YOURS!" Then tears started to fall on my cheeks.

Miyabi's eye widen of how I am acting, this was not me. Without me realizing he is holding me in his arms. He is letting me cry out my feelings…I wished I was in Kyoga's arms as I fell asleep.

* * *

 _(Ayame's dream)_

 _I was tired and my muscles ached. I was the only one left human in this battle, I was going to die one way or another. I slashed a hand of one of the Akayashi before I, his curse echoing through the night._

 _I was not about to just lay down and die, not at least without taking as many of them with me as I could. I noticed one behind me, he was underestimating my abilities._

 _I turned on my toe and slit his throat. He jumped back, a hand to his neck. The thing about Akayashi, was that it took more force to do the amount of damage necessary to kill them. I needed to hit vital spots on them and multiple times to kill them, each blow needing to be harder than the last._

 _I also needed to be quick and vigilant so as to avoid being struck myself. I used my body's weakness to my advantage, I wasn't strong but I was nimble on my feet. Turning and weaving in and out of their attacks, it was almost like dancing. My body was young and more flexible than the soldiers that I fought beside today. To my knowledge, being light on my feet was the only reason I had survived so long._

 _The moon glistened off most of the Akayashi here. Their claws and teeth giving them away before they attacked. The wolves themselves were larger than most of the normal wolves, but other than that, in their rawest form they looked just like one just stronger and more cunning._

 _I turned looking for my next opponent to notice I had been surrounded by five men with dark ears and tails. Their teeth bared at me in the moonlight. I turned and one jumped at me and I deflected him and swiftly turned to the other attacking wolf. My sword grew heavy in my hand. I turned and looked to see the wolf I had just attacked holding my sword down caught in a large pair of teeth, I couldn't move it._

 _The next one jumped at me, I pushed my captured sword deeper into the wolf's mouth cutting into it until it released it. Immediately I turned and struck at the attacking wolf, my Katana slicing it's chest and pushing him away._

 _Another one slipped up behind me, thinking it would surprise me by going for my feet. It wasn't a bad move, it was a weak spot, but I was aware of it. I swung down cutting off it's ear as it howled in pain. However I didn't expect it to jump at me and my sword was misplaced to the side as I swung up._

 _I feel into the red snow with the wolf on top of me. The wolf had his claws to my throat as he sat on top of me. I looked up at him with surprise but no fear, yet he did not finish me._

 _"Damn human" he said pulling me up. He tossed me up against the tree. He began to bind my wrist behind my back . The ropes cut into my wrists, but I would not wince. It was over, tears clung to my eyes as my sister, Yona, rushed into my mind. I felt bad for running off without saying goodbye, but she would have thrown a fit if she'd known I was going to war._

 _I thought of her, saying my apologies to her in my head as I was drug back to camp. I was taken to a tent and tossed to the ground inside of it._

 _"The girl, Akio." stated the wolf, his dark ears and eyes cutting into me with just as much hate as I had for him._

 _"Thank you, Reiji." I heard a husky voice reply back. The rustle of the curtain was the only indication that Reiji had left._

 _I turned to stare at my new enemy, I was stunned by a man with dark brown hair and eyes. The moon shone brightly through the curtain, glorifying his skin on his chest. Every muscle of his broad chest and abs were exemplified beautifully. If he had been human… (I mustn't think like that!) I chastised myself._

 _This man was an Akayashi, and he had the ears and tail to prove it. He knelt down to me and cut the ropes tying my hands. I was shocked, as the ropes slid to the floor. Was he that arrogant, or did he just underestimate me that much? What ever this wolf Akayashi was thinking, I was willing to make it his last mistake._

 _I charged at him, and he neatly dodged. He grabbed my hand and tossed me aside. I expected to hit the floor, but instead before I knew it I had been pinned to the bed under him._

 _"Get off, me!" I hissed. I struggled under him, but to no avail. He leaned in pulling my collar off one of my shoulders. I would have him kill me before I'd let him sleep with me, if that was what he was thinking._

 _His nose rubbed against my collar bone inhaling deeply like he was smelling me. The sensation gave me Goosebumps, but I felt my skin flush against his nose. My heart thumped in my chest._

 _"I said, get off!" I repeated and twisted so that his grip on me loosened. I moved to get around him when I was slammed back down, pinned again._

 _"Don't move," His face was in my chest again, I blushed angrily. "I have a fetish for scents." He continued. So he was trying to sleep with me!_

 _I tried to push him off of me, but he was too strong. Hate burned in my eyes. He leaned back up and looked at me, and I looked at him. His hair fell into soft wet ringlets that framed his face as he looked down at me, his dark eyes void of any emotions. His chiseled chest was warm and I found it hard to keep my eyes from wondering. It was clear that other than my scent, to him I was nothing but a filthy human. His eyes seemed confused the longer he looked into mine._

 _"You hate me." It wasn't a question, it was a statement._

 _"Yes, I hate all akayashi." I stated back._

 _"But you're not afraid of dying?" He inquired._

 _"No." the look on his face became puzzled._

 _"Why?" he asked "Human's are selfish creatures void of all sensible emotions and thought-"._

 _"Human's have more feelings than you Akayashi will ever have. All you do is kill, and I'd rather take down as many Akayashi as I can before they kill me. I'd die to procure a way of living for my sister and the next generations of humans."_

* * *

 **Ayame's POV**

I woke up with a start. That girl was the same one from before, it felt so real. I looked around me. I was alone in my room, Miyabi must have put me to bed after I fell asleep. I checked under the sheets and breathed a sigh of relief, I was still dressed. My mind drifted back towards that dream.

Akio, I think it was... he looked an awful lot like Kyoga. I mused over the image of the akayashi in my dreams. My feelings of last night must have bleed over into my dream. With that I decided to get up and get dressed.

I went to the living room where you could hear the other akyashi already gathered around the table for breakfast. The smell of breakfast hit my nose again and my stomach flipped. I washed my face again after I felt the nausea roll away. I took a deep breath, this was something I apparently was going to have to get use to.

I joined the guys in the living room. Miyabi was picking on Shinra again, but I noticed Kyoga's seat was empty.

"Hey, Samon?" I asked my head tilting to the side. "Where is Kyoga?" I really needed to talk to him today about... my situation. As soon as I voiced my question, the table turned silent. This was odd, normally the only one who remained silent was Chikage. Samon tried to hide his hesitation but it was pain as day to me.

"Well, something has came up in the Village that has demanded his attention. He sent Hikobei saying that he would be back when he could." Samon's tone was light like he was treading thin ice. I looked down sadly, Samon never lied to me before except about being akayshi, but this was part of Kyoga's job.

"But he did send this for you!" Samon said to cheer me up. Samon handed me a small scroll. Kyoga had never sent me anything from the village, but it only proves that he misses me to if he sent a letter, right?

I opened it up and read Kyoga's beautiful handwriting.

 **Ayame,**

 **I hope that you slept well, even though it stormed last night. I wish I could have been there when you woke up today, but things in the village needed my attention. Go ahead and go to your co-worker's shower and have fun. I should be back late tonight or in the morning.**

 **Miss you my little devil, Kyoga.**

Dang the emotions! Tears gathered in my eyes again. Kyoga was right however, I looked at the clock it was almost time to go and I nearly forgot! I quickly ate and headed out the door, gift in tow my spirit's lifted.

* * *

 **Ayame's POV**

The party began and ended without a hitch. Mizuki thanked me for my gift basket as well. Sure it's nice to be excited for the new baby, but the mother's need some love to. Like the girls we were, we stayed and chatted the rest of the day away.

I walked home as the sun was setting, Ikumi didn't say a word about my situation but I could tell that she's watching me more carefully now like she did when we found out that Mizuki was expecting. It feels better knowing that my friends would be there for me when the time comes.

It surprised me that Mizuki husband joined in on the shower, I knew that he would make a good father. I think he was more excited than anyone, I laughed thinking about the games he participated in. I sighed.

I wonder what kind of father Kyoga would be like. I mused over the thought and smiled to myself imagining a happy Kyoga playing with a child. But... my heart pounded in my chest... where we ready? I was terrified to tell Kyoga.

The wind shifted, blowing towards me from down wind, picking up my hair. A scent crossed my nose, it was similar to Kyoga's but... different somehow. I wondered how I was starting to smell all these different things when I felt those eyes again.

I looked behind me to see a man in traditional japan clothing, a sun hat hiding his face. My heart jumped inside my chest. This guy... he was akayashi... somehow I just knew. Only question was, was I in danger? My instinct told me to run, but my legs wouldn't move. This guy wasn't from the village, I know I had never seen this guy before.

The stranger lifted his hat to unveil his eyes. His eyes where dark and full of hate, one could say that it was a look intended to kill. I immediately felt threatened just feeling the eyes, seeing these eyes froze my blood on the spot. I back away before I turned and ran for my life. I had never seen eyes like those, not even from the Tora clan back then. I was close to the shrine, I just had to get there. I ran as fast as I could, wishing that I wasn't alone like I was now. I turned to look behind me as I ran, the guy was no where to be seen. I didn't stop however.

I ran up the steps and slammed the door open. I fell into a heaping mess onto the floor.

"Ayame?!" Yukijino cried out at my sudden entrance. Before I knew it all the guys rushed into the room. I was shaking all over, and my lungs burning.

"Ayame, what happened?" the guys asked as I clung to Samon. I couldn't breathe, and I couldn't catch it either and the room was spinning now. Who ever that guy was, he was very bad news. The guys continued their barrage of questions.

"Guys, come on! Let her breathe!" Samon ordered the guys.

"I... The guy..." I tried, tears rolled down my face when I couldn't.

"Ayame, it's okay. Just breathe a moment." Samon instructed. I did as he said and calmed myself enough to continue. I breathlessly told them how I've been feeling like I was being watched, and then just now, everything about the guy that I could remember.

"I'll kill him!" Shinra was the first to shout out morphing into his akayashi form and grasping his sword.

"Yeah, little Oni might be biting off more than he can chew if he could scare Ayame this bad." Miyabi laughed teasing Shinra.

"Wha- You wanna go Kitsune?" Shinra yelled back.

"Just shut up, would you?" Chikage said looking annoyed that Shinra was yelling in his ear.

"Chikage's right. We should calm down and look for where this guy went." Yukijino interrupted. I was buried in Samon's chest so I couldn't see his face but it felt like he had given some kind of hidden communication as he said this. Shinra calmed down a little, and they all nodded and came up with a plan to search the city for the guy I had described.

Samon helpped me move into the living room and gave me some tea to calm down as the other's got ready to leave. Chikage would take to the sky and the other two would take half of the city. Samon was going to stay here and erect a barrier and keep me safe.

I wasn't sure if they could find the guy, or even fight him if it came to that, but one thing I did know was Samon's tea did a lot for the nerves. Before long the guys had all left, in exception to Samon. I didn't feel like holding a conversation so I turned on the television and watched one of the shows while I sipped on my tea. Samon went to stand guard outside and wait to let the other's back in.

Before I knew it, I had fallen asleep.

* * *

 **Ayame's POV**

I woke up again. None of the guys had come back yet. I hadn't noticed it, but this house felt odd without them. Instantly my nerves came back. Where was Kyoga? Had he not come back yet either?

The image of the strange akayashi entered my mind again. My hands started shaking again just at the thought. I got up and walked to the front door when I heard voices.

"Should we tell Kyoga?" Yukijino asked.

"I don't know, you know he's been dealing with a lot in the villages with all of those attacks. It would be inconsiderate of us to say anything about this without the proof that they are related." Chikage's voice. What were they talking about, attacks in the village?

"But Ayame's protection is his and our top priority! He should know!" Shinra.

"We couldn't find any trace of the guy, even though his scent was all over her, he's covered it just like the murders in the village." Miyabi. Murders? I backed away from the door. Had Kyoga been lying to me this entire time? Even if it was to keep me from worrying, there was someone going around and murdering akayashi in the village?... and now there was this guy.

I decided to take a bath to calm my nerves, besides that if I had stayed there the guys would have found out that I was listening. I turned over this information in my head, Kyoga would be back tonight right? At the same time though, was in in danger staying in the village? I shook my head as I dried my hair and dressed. He couldn't, I was pregnant... I couldn't raise and akayashi on my own!

I walked out of the bathroom no closer to figuring out why Kyoga had been keeping this from me and no more calmer. The guys had all gathered in the living room for a late dinner. It was oddly quiet when I walked in.

"Ayame! Do you feel better?" Samon asked me with a smile. I nodded as I sat down and sat with the rest of them. Turns out I didn't have much of an appetite tonight. I sighed taking a sip of my miso soup.

"How did the search go?" I asked really wanting specific details if they had any. The guys looked at each other before Chikage spoke up.

"We didn't find anything. it seems he's disappeared." Chikage's eyes never looked up to acknowledge me, but that was just how Chikage was. This was probably the only information I was going to get from them as no one added anything else.

It was then that a splash was heard from the backyard. Hikobei was the one who entered his eyes taking in me at the end of the table.

"Report from Kyoga, masters." He said, all the guys looked at him as he continued.

"Kyoga said he will be staying a few more days. It seems work just keeps piled up on him." The guys nod and look away, they all seem tired. Hikobie never liked me, so I didn't expect him to speak directly to me.

"Master Kyoga sends this human." even though his words were harsh he simply handed me another scroll. I thanked him quietly for a change. It's like all the energy had been drained from my house today. I wish Kyoga would hurry up and come back.

 **Ayame,**

 **I am very sorry, the village needs me for just a little bit longer. I'll be home as soon as I can, I hope you are taking care of yourself. I can't wait to hold you, I miss your warmth. When I get home, you are taking a day off of work and it'll just be the two of us, okay?**

 **Love you, Kyoga.**

I rolled the scroll back up after I read it. He still wasn't telling me anything was wrong with the village, but I guess I wasn't supposed to know anything.. I excused myself and went to my room. Tears rolled down my face as I burried myself into my covers. Had this space always been between us? Did he not trust me enough to take on some of his problems? how were we going to raise a child this far apart.

* * *

 **Author Notes- Hi everyone this is J-ninja421, Thank you all that has the time to read this story! Feel free to favorite, follow or comment. Thanks to Wolf'sBlueIris74 she has done an amazing job typing this. I only type the beginning lol. Thanks again for reading!**

 **review**

 **peace out!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Okay guys the 6th chapter is up! I am sorry for the wait! Thank you momamomam and RonnieMack for your comments! We love you guys as well and ninja and I hope you enjoy the new chapter! Please enjoy! ~WBI**

* * *

 **Ayame POV**

I tossed and turned all night. I just couldn't fall asleep. I listened as each of the guys went to their own rooms to sleep. Through the window, the full moon shone through my window, casting the room in a soft silver glow.

I thought nothing but Kyoga, why was he not telling me these things? If we where to get married, didn't that mean we where supposed to be there to support each other? Or was it different for akayashi?

I struggled with all this, my hand gliding over my stomach. Since I had found out that I was pregnant I hadn't seen or been able to talk to Kyoga.

"Your father's just really strong, sometimes so strong he's stubborn. He's really a good man. He takes care of me and he'll take care of you too little one. I may not be the best mother yet, but I promise I'll be strong for you. I promise to make sure you grow up happy and loved."I said under my breath to my stomach, a warm feeling rushing over me from it.

I sat up then and looked out into the backyard. I remember Kyoga taking me to the village from here, it couldn't be that hard to do, could it? I silently dressed I put on a pair of jeans and a t-shirt before lacing a pair of hiking boots Kyoga had bought me for such trips. In a small bag I packed some extra cloths since I didn't plan on coming back tonight.

Pulling my hair up and walked across the yard to the trees surrounding the shirine. I looked back at the house, did I really think I could do this? I shook my head, I was the bride-to-be of a head clan akayashi, I could make it to the village on my own.

I set off into the woods. When I was younger my father and I used to hike every now and then, I wasn't afraid of a few bugs. On the ground I could see our foot prints coming and going, this wouldn't be too hard.

I walked for what seemed like forever, soon I came to the realization that I eventually got lost. I sighed, this was great, I thought with sarcasm. The night was silent… almost too silent.

Wasn't the whole point of the village to keep humans away? Why did I think I was special and believing I could find this village on my own? It's hidden from humans.

Behind me I heard a crack of a stick, like someone had stepped on it. I turned seeing nothing. I walked some more when I heard it again, closer this time. Surely it was just some animal I thought when I heard it.

I had to cover my ears from the deafening howl that pierced the night. It was so close. The next thing I heard nearly stopped my heart. A child's scream tore through the night and the sounds of wolves growling.

I ducked behind a tree and covered my ears, my hands shaking like earlier. The child cried out, and I realized I must be near the village if a child was out here.

Stifling my fear I crept towards the child, the sound of wolves gone. Did wolves attack more than once? I honestly didn't know. I froze when I heard the wolves howl again, this time further away.

I sighed a sigh of relief as I made my way closer to the sound of the child. It wasn't long before I found him. Blood was every where. Claw marks covering the child, his cloths stained red as he cried out.

The child was an akayashi! He was part of Kyoga's clan, I remember Kyoga playing around with some of the kids one day, it was one of them! I ran up to the young wolf.

"Are you okay?" I asked, I knew it was a silly question but I needed to keep him talking.

"Y-Your Kyoga's woman! What are you doing here?" He asked clutching the claw marks on his chest. I looked over his body as he talked, it was horrible. The smell of iron was so strong, my stomach rolled. I refused to show weakness her though so I focused on breathing through my mouth.

"I came to find Kyoga, but that's not important right now, we've got to get this bleeding stopped!" I told him. I took the cloths out of my bag and began trying to stop the bleeding, but it just kept gushing.

"Ugh this isn't working!" I said to myself. Who would do this to a child? Was this the kind of murders that Kyoga had been trying to hide? My hands shook, I was running out of options, I wasn't a doctor!

A thought crossed my mind, my blood… should I? It gave the power to heal but it also gave power. I looked at the child, his face was turning pale. What would Kyoga have me do? I thought for just a second more, what if this had been my child? Then I just couldn't leave him.

I looked around, on the ground just to my right was a rock with a sharp edge to it. I picked it up and turned it over in my hand, just a small nick would help right? The child in my lap was gasping now, I had to do it.

I bit my lip and pressed the stone into my hand. Dark blood oozed down my hand and I dropped one drop into the child's mouth. I watched as the boy's wounds closed to small scratches before my eyes. I was in awe of just the simple power of my blood, even though it was such a small quantity of blood given, one drop could save someone just on the brink of death... I had no idea my power was capable of something to this extent. If this was wrong then I am sorry Kyoga.

The child was unconscious in my arms now but his breathing had evened out. I sighed relieved, but we where covered in blood when I heard the sound of foot steps running towards us. Had the wolves come back to finish us?

The sound stopped in front of us still hidden in the shadows of the night, all was silent again. Someone stepped out and into the moonlight that drifted down to the forest floor.

"Ayame?" A familiar voice called out to me. The man before me was Aoi!

"Aoi!" I said surprised. His eyes took in the scene before him.

"What happened? What are you doing here?" Aoi asked me. The others behind him looked at each other in confusion.

"I-I don't know. I just came to find Kyoga and then…" I said trailing off. I probably sounded silly saying that, but it was the truth. I just wasn't comfortable staying at the house, not after what happened.

"Aoi snapped his finger and motioned to one of the akayashi behind him. The guy bowed and left back the way they had came. Aoi walked up and looked at the child in my arms. The claw marks had nearly healed but blood was still every where.

Aoi looked me up and down too, coming to focus on my cut hand.

"What happened here?" he asked. I blanched, I didn't know what he would say if I told him.

"He- He was bleeding so fast and so much. I just didn't know what else to do, Aoi. Will he be ok?" I asked tears gathering in my eyes as I remembered what had happened.

Aoi's eyes widened at what I told him, but I think he could tell that I was worried Kyoga would be furious.

"Well it's not exactly ideal, I don't think Kyoga would be the kind to hold it against you." Aoi said with a smile as he ripped the him of his sleeve and wrapping it around my hand.

"What wouldn't I do?" I heard his voice as one of the other akayashi took the child from my lap. I looked up just as Kyoga stepped out of the shadows from where the guy left.

The tears began to flow freely down my face as I saw him. His face was hard, and his arms where crossed. My body moved on it's own as I ran into his arms, knocking him back a step.

I sobbed into his chest as I felt his arms wrap around me for the first time in days.

"A-Ayame!?" He said shocked. I just continued to cry into her chest, his scent overwhelming me.

"What are you doing here?" Kyoga asked, still not understanding.

"I *hick* I was so scared *hick* and you didn't come *hick* back!" I cried all of my emotions flowing out at once. From in his arms I felt myself shaking, I was covered in blood and the night air only made me shiver more. I felt Kyoga's chest expand and then decompress as he sighed.

"Aoi, look this scene over and when the boy wakes up ask him what happened. I'm going to take Ayame back to the village." he said, his voice deeper as he was conducting business.

I felt an arm knock my feet out from under me as Kyoga carried my bridal style back. I blushed hard into his chest as my sobs quickly dried out.

I was half way asleep when we got back to Kyoga's place in the village. I hadn't realized that I was this tired.

"Don't fall asleep on me now, you need to shower and change before you go to sleep." Kyoga chided me. He wasn't mad at me? I was glad, but I was so tired. I managed a slur of an agreement, which he chuckled at.

I felt Kyoga pull at my cloths, I wanted to tell him to let me rest a bit, but I couldn't manage the strength. I felt a gentle warmth surround my body with Kyoga cradling me against his chest from behind.

The warmth around us spiked his musky scent. I felt the same way about his scent, like I did when I hadn't seen my own bed in weeks. Where he was, that was home to me.

"Kami, how can you smell this good?" I think I heard Kyoga whisper as he rinsed my body. I was becoming more and more sleepy, but I wanted to stay with him.

When Kyoga was done, he dried us off and dressed us for sleep even though it must have been early morning. The last thing I remember was Kyoga pulling me into his chest and covering us, with my hair still slightly damp.

* * *

 **Kyoga's POV**

Ayame rushed into my arms, causing me to take a step back to keep from falling over. She was covered in blood, thank the gods it wasn't hers. Her body was taken over in sobs as she clung to my chest.

Had her scent changed while I was gone? Blood was a powerful scent to my clan, but her sweet scent nearly drowned it out even though she was covered in it. But why was she here of all places? Hadn't I asked the guys to look out for her?

"What are you doing here?" I asked her, holding her. How exactly did she find the village on her own? Only a hand full of humans had even come close, but that was all on accident.

"I *hick* I was so scared *hick* and you didn't come *hick* back!" she cried, my heart melted. I didn't mean to leave her as long as I had, but I didn't want her here either. The village was too dangerous for a human, especially one like her. I sighed deeply.

"Aoi, look this scene over and when the boy wakes up ask him what happened. I'm going to take Ayame back to the village." I said as I pick Ayame up in my arms.

Ayame's sobs stopped soon after we made it to the village. I felt her body slowly begin to relax and her breathing evening out. She needed a bath before she fell asleep.

"Don't fall asleep on me now, you need to shower and change before you go to sleep." I told her. All I heard was a mumbled something, and I chuckled. It had only been a couple of days, but I missed this part about Ayame. She didn't know it, but I liked the defenseless side of her, it was not something that I got to see everyday; only at night in her dreams was this luxury available to me.

I looked down at her as I came up to the house. She was exhausted, a piece of her hair tumbled down into her face. Her lips were pink and slightly opened as she breathed. She was a beautiful mess, I had my work cut out for me. If being clan head didn't kill me first, it would be her. I took Ayame inside and had a vassal draw a bath.

I sat her down on the stool in the bathroom, I looked over her face, it had been so long since I had seen it but so much had changed in the last few days. She was human it was to be expected that everyday was to be an adventure, what with thier short life span, but I hadn't expected her face alone to change this much. She looked even more beautiful that the last time, her skin practically glowed. Yet her eyes, had she not been sleeping well? Dark circles laid under her eyes and I kicked myself for staying gone so long. Then her scent, her scent had grown stronger since then to, sweeter, I really had to watch myself now along with every other akayashi.

I leaned into her, taking it in. I thought it didn't get any sweeter than before, but for this one moment, I was glad to be wrong. I began to remove her dirty cloths before removing my own.

I sat us down in the warm water of the tub and relaxed. Apparently she wasn't the only one feeling run down, my shoulders cracked as I stretched them out . I took this moment and took in her scent again, my lips tracing the mark over and over again. She moaned more than half asleep. Oh there was so many things I could do right now with her, but that would have to wait until later. Tonight had to be a full moon as well, when my more primal desires were at their peak.

"Kami, how can you smell this good?" The power this girl had was incredible and I was fool to believe, in the beginning, that that was all it was about. Everything this girl did was the best part. Even though she came out here on her own, she had made it. She had even saved that kid's life by doing so.

I looked at her hand where she cut herself to bleed for my clan. As much as I hated that she injured herself and as much as I disliked that another Akayashi tapped in on her powers, she had done so to save a part of my clan. My heart swelled.

Ayame should have been born an akayashi, if she had I know she would have been a force to be reckoned with. I chuckled to myself imagining Ayame as an akayashi, she may have even given me a run for my money on being head of the clan along with any of the others.

I washed Ayame's body for her and then washed mine before drying and dressing us. I carried her to my room and pulled her into my chest.

"Kyoga…" was she talking in her sleep? "stay…" She slurred that last part. I chuckled. She never used that word specifically around me before. She'd always substitute it for words like 'hold on' or 'wait', not once had I ever heard her say that word. Maybe she was trying to stay away from treating me like a house pet.

I kissed her forehead, "I am not going anywhere." We stayed like that until I fell asleep with her finally in my arms.

* * *

 **Wolf'sBlueIris74- am so excited that so many people have enjoyed this story as much as I do. Again, I am so sorry about the wait for this chapter and hope that you guys keep coming back to read our story! enjoy, love, review and favorite!**


	7. Chapter 7

**Ayame POV**

I woke up feeling like I had been asleep for a long time. I cracked my eyes to see the sun shining strong through the paper door. I felt like dead weight, I wanted to go back to sleep when I realized I wasn't at my room in the shrine.

I shot up in bed, my hair spread out in all kinds of directions. Looking around the room I realized I was in Kyoga's room at the village. I glanced next to me to find an empty bed. I ran my hand over the spot where he was last night, the warmth from his body seemingly long gone.

I groaned and fell back into the sheets. Was coming to the village a mistake? I silently wondered if Kyoga was going to be busy with work that we still won't be able to see each other. I saved that boy last night, but I fell asleep so fast that Kyoga and I hadn't talked at all. I groaned, I hadn't accomplished anything I set out to do last night.

Suddenly there was a small knock in the door.

"Y-yes." I said, my voice cracking. I sat up as the door slid open to reveal a small wolf girl. She had small brown ears and a tail, she wore a white kimono, but she looked not much older than a child.

"My lady, Kyoga-sama has instructed me to tend to you when you woke up. Would you like to change and follow me to the breakfast hall?" She said politely with a small bow her brown tail swaying behind her like Kyoga's did back home.

"Um, yes. Would you happen to know where Kyoga went?" I asked, hopeful to get some time to talk with him.

"Kyoga-sama, has been in a meeting with the clan elders this morning. He said he would be busy most of the day and to assist you in what you wanted to do." she said flatly. My eyes fell towards the floor then. So it was exactly as I feared. Tears gathered behind my eyes, feeling a little rejected by Kyoga. I shook my head, that was not his intentions at all, I told myself.

"My lady I-" The small girl began.

"Please, just call me Ayame." I said in what I hoped was a cheery voice.

"But my lady! It isn't proper for me-" She looked up at me.

"Please, it just makes me uncomfortable to have someone call me that. Besides aren't we suppose to spend most of the day together? So could we drop the formalities? I'll vouch for you if anyone gives you trouble!" I said hopeful to make a friend in this strange village.

"I-if that is what my Lady wishes," She said with her head bowed. When she raised it once more a wide grin was plastered to her face. "My name is Kikyo, but my friends call me Kiki."

I smiled, this girl was very much still a child. I nodded and also gave my warmest smile before I finished getting dressed and headed to the dinning hall.

Breakfast was very... elegant, and it made me feel very stiff. Back home with the guys, breakfast was always very interesting. Without Miyabi's and Shinra's pestering, it seemed too quiet.

"Why so tense, beautiful?" a breath whispered in my ear. The sudden intrusion made me jump to my feet. My heart beating so fast and my face flushing.

"M-Miyabi!" I cried out in astonishment as he appeared behind me.

"In the flesh, baby cakes!" He said with a sly wink. "Miss me?"

I was stunned speechless.

"Miyabi, don't pretend like you're the only one here." Called a voice from behind him. Shinra was giving his normal pout to Miyabi's advances.

"Well it's obvious by her reaction that I am the only one that matters, little oni's should run off and play and give grown ups alone time." He snickered. This started Shinra into a whole new fit, his face nearly as dark as his hair.

When I finally came to realization that they were really here, I let out a relieved laugh at the scene that had unfolded before me.

"What are you guy's doing here?" I asked when I finally caught my breath.

"What do you mean why are we here? You just suddenly disappear in the middle of the night and expect us not to be worried about you after that incident yesterday?" Shinra nearly yelled at me. Guilt over what I had done enveloped me at the realization. I had forgotten in my fixation to get back to Kyoga, to tell them that I was leaving and where I was going.

"I'm-" I began only to be cut off by a familiar voice.

"What incident?" I jumped sightly. Had sneaking up on people always been a habit of Kyoga's? Kyoga came in from behind me. As excited as I was to see him, his face was hard again. Had the boy woken up yet? There was so much blood that I was sure he would need a little more time to recover.

"Err.." Shinra faltered. The other guys glared at Shinra now.

"Nice, Shinra." Chikage said coldly.

"Hey! Not my fault-" he began.

"Really, little oni's shouldn't be so loud." Miyabi teased again, poking Shinra in the head. Shinra's face was red in anger, and his jaw obviously clinched but this time he kept his mouth shut as he pouted again.

Kyoga's face didn't change once during the conversation. In fact he looked really stressed. If the guys were going to tell him about what happened then, maybe it was best if I tried to calm him down even just a little bit.

I walked up to Kyoga, taking one hand in both of mine, I gave him a slight peck on the lips.

"Good morning." I said to him looking up into his green eyes, hoping to relieve some of the stress. He looked down at me, the hard greenness in his eyes slowly melting away as he pecked my lips with a kiss of his own.

"Morning, my little devil. Sleep well?" he asked pulling me into him, a smile meant only for me covered his face. I smiled brilliantly back, glad that I could do this much for him. I nodded before he returned to face the guys again, this time without the harsh look he had earlier.

"Did something happen that I should know about?" Kyoga asked. The guys all looked at each other before Chikage spoke up.

"Right now we have no sold proof, but the other day Ayame burst through the door in a nervous wreak. She said that she had seen a strange guy and lately had felt like someone has been watching her." Chikage recounted for Kyoga.

"A scent I didn't recognize was all in her hair, so we all went out to search while Samon stayed back at the shrine with Ayame." Miyabi said, strangely focused on the relay of information. It was odd to see him this way, it almost didn't fit. " We searched the city for hours and didn't find a trace left. It was like the scent in her hair came from no where." Miyabi concluded.

"You didn't think to tell me of this event?" Kyoga said, his voice angry but controlled. I clung to his side and I felt his arm wrap around my waist, his hand was trembling.

"We had no hard proof of what or who this person was. With everything that you've been working on here, we felt like it would be... inconsiderate of us to worry you with more problems right now." Chikage answered. Kyoga's jaw was tense, as he chewed on Chikage's words before he let out a sigh.

"Next time, please just inform me."he said, I felt his hand still on my waist. "Thank you for protecting her while I was here."

The other guys nodded in acknowledgment of his thanks.

Kyoga whisked me away, and back into the bedroom not too long after the guys left.

* * *

 **Ayame POV**

"You didn't tell me you had been feeling like someone was watching you." He said as he turned his back towards me. I felt bad, in the end I had only caused him more worry.

"I-I chalked it up to it just being a fragment of my imagination. Until I saw the man the other day, I wasn't all that worried about it… I am sorry I've caused you more to worry about." I said quietly, my voice threatening to break. I should get a better handle on my emotions.

In that moment Kyoga turned to face me, his eyes swimming with conflicting emotions. I had never seen him at such a loss.

"I should have been there to protect you." There was a silent pause. Kyoga gently stroked my face with his hand as he looked deep into my eyes. All the words that he wanted to say but couldn't flowed throughout that one connection. I knew exactly what he wanted to say.

His eyes fluttered down to the mark on my neck, his fingers gently grazing the skin. He shouldn't have to feel guilty about what had happened, maybe it had just been a freak accident.

"Kyoga, what happened wasn't your fault. You have a job here, the guys are just as capable of protecting me." I said as I looked into his guilt filled eyes.

"But if anything had happened-" He began.

"But nothing happened. And we can't change the past." I said. There was more that I wanted to tell him, but how do I tell him?

"You're right. However for now could you do me one favor?" Kyoga grabbed a piece of my hair, letting it run through his fingers.

"Could you call off of work for now? I don't think I could focus here if I had to worry about you in the human world until I got back." I stared into his eyes. Kyoga was never this selfish, but if this was what he needed then just a couple of days off wouldn't hurt. I had two week's vacation left, I could do this for him. I nodded silently.

"K-Kyoga, there was something else that I needed to tell you-" I began when a knock interrupted me.

"Kyoga-sama, Aoi is requesting you sir. He said the boy has woken up." came a small voice from behind the door.

"I'll be right there." Kyoga called back. I couldn't tell him this now, not with everything that's going on.

"You should go, this can wait." I said my eyes dropping to his chest.

"You sure?" He asked bringing my face back up to his with the curve of his finger, making my heart flutter a little with his gentleness. I nodded slightly and Kyoga quickly place a sweet kiss on my lips, and again on my forehead before leaving. I sighed deeply, my hand moving to my stomach.

"I'm here little one. We'll tell him very soon, he's just very busy right now." Tears gathered in my eyes a little, feeling overwhelmed by emotions.

I steadied myself before I left the room as well, my mind now made up. Ever since Kyoga and I had been together, I hadn't spent much time with his family. Maybe I could get some answers about what it means to raise an akayashi child. Of course I would have to be careful not to let it slip that I was pregnant until I told Kyoga first.

* * *

 **Ayame POV**

Kiki and I chatted away as we walked to Kyoga's family dwelling. It turns out that Kiki was much older than I was, but she was still the equivalent of a young teen in human terms.

We mostly talked about what things were like in the human world, since she had never before been outside the village. I tried understanding what all was going on here, but Kiki quickly became somber and she didn't tell me anymore than I had already knew.

The walk didn't take us long when we came across a house near the outer edges of the village. Potted flowers bloomed in a colorful array around the home giving it a cottage feel to it. I took a deep breath when we approached the door.

I gave a quick knock and waited as someone came towards the door. The face that opened it was a young face with a striking similarity to Kyoga's. The woman had long dark hair that hung in waves that framed her face, with ears and tail similar to Kyoga's, if not fuller.

"Oh my gosh! Ayame!" she cried out, a smile sweeping across her face before she enveloped me in a tight hug. Last time I was here I didn't have the pleasure of hanging out with Kyoga's twin sister, I was surprised she remembered my name.

"Hey, Kohana!" I greeted her. I smiled back at her large green eyes, they looked very much like Kyoga's, however the rest of her face was very female. She was a beautiful akayashi to say the least.

"Is Kyoga not with you?" She asked, looking at Kiki behind me. I shook my head before responding.

"He was busy with some clan head things. I thought this might be a good time to get to know you guys a little better." I told her, hoping I wasn't intruding on anything they had planned.

"Kohana, who's at the door?" came an older voice from deeper in the house. Behind Kohana, Kyoga's mother appeared.

"Ayame!?" she said surprised. I smiled sheepishly at her from the door.

"I hope I wasn't intruding on any of your plans by coming over today, Mrs. Kazehara." I said loud enough for her to hear me. Kyoga's father was on the elder's council , so he wouldn't be here today.

"Oh! Not at all, you are welcome anytime, sweetheart! And please call me Rin" she said coming to the door as well.

"Of course!" I said giving her a huge smile. Kyoga's mother was so much like how my mother used to be when I was little with braided pig tails. This was a home I knew.

"Ayame, we were about to head into town to do some shopping. Would you like to join us?" She asked. Kyoga's mother's eyes crinkled at the edges as she gave me a whole hearted grin. If I could age her back a few years she would be the spitting image of Kohana. The tips of her ears and tail had turned white, but she was every just as lively. Kyoga was very blessed to have a mother like her.

"I would love to! I haven't really had the opportunity to just shop around the village before!" I told them. I looked behind me at Kiki.

"Is it alright if we join them Kiki?" I asked not wanting to make the girl uncomfortable. Her eyes turned as big as saucers before a smile blossomed across her face and nodded eagerly. I laughed at her enthusiasm, I guess all girls, even akayashi, liked shopping.

* * *

 **Ayame POV**

Turns out the village had a bunch of items that I had never seen before. We had fun trying on different kimonos in beautiful designs that I would have never seen in the human world. A bright blue one with bright pink and read flowers really stood out to me. The stitching was beyond anything I had ever seen.

"Ayame! You would look so lovely in that Kimono!" Kohana exclaimed. I gazed at the Kimono I was admiring.

"You really think so?" I asked. She laughed and nodded quickly.

"Kyoga would love it on you!" She said completely confident.

"Kohana, where you and Kyoga very close when you were kids?" I asked, my curiosity getting the better of me.

"Oh! Why do you ask?" She asked looking at a bright purple kimono.

"I was just curious on what Kyoga was like growing up." I said fiddling with the kimono in my hand again.

"Hmmm… Well, we kinda grew up during a difficult time. War shapes you in different ways that are not the norm." She said placing the purple kimono back.

"Is raising an akayashi any different than raising a human?" I questioned.

"I don't see why it wouldn't be." Kohana said as she pulled out a beautiful orange kimono.

"Well, akayashi are strong and fast, and they come with all kinds of abilities that a normal human wouldn't." I explained further. She looked at me, her eyes didn't pry into my soul, for which I was grateful.

"We'll looking at it that way… Akayashi are all those things in comparison to humans, while we may look like akayashi on the outside, younger akayashi don't gain those abilities until they are about seven or so." She explained.

"Even though we are twins and I am older by several minuets, Kyoga was always the stronger, more driven of the two of us, even though he seems like a slacker to everyone who doesn't know him very well. He gained his ability at five, while I gained mine at eight." She looked me up and down on that last part, like she was calculating something.

"I guess now I'll never catch up, now that he's got you." She laughed, her voice mimicked the sounds of bells as she did. I laughed with her a new concern growing inside me.

"Do akayashi siblings usually compete against each other." Kohana laughed again.

"Kyoga just caught all the breaks in that sense. At first I was upset that he was always so much better in his abilities than I was. I had to fight for everything I got. I was lucky to have Kyoga as a brother though, he was always very kind about it growing up and he never preyed on the weak." Kohana looked like she was recalling a distant memory, a sweet smile played across her lips. So Kyoga had always been the man he is today, my heart swelled as I watched his sister.

* * *

 **Ayame POV**

That night I stayed over at Kyoga's family house a long time. Kohana and I turned out to be best friends and Kyoga's mother felt like my own to me. We talked and laughed like I hadn't done in a long time with my own family. Ever since my parents died, my house had never been like this.

We had just finished making to super when Kyoga's father and he walked in.

"Ayame! It's been a while child." Kyoga's father greeted me upon first sight. He wrapped me in a huge hug, spinning me around like I was his own kid.

"Welcome home Mr. Kazehara." I say in surprise. Kyoga's father placed me back on my feet before patting me on the head.

"Please call me Kenta!" He said before greeting his wife. My eyes shyly traveled over to Kyoga. He stood with a passionate smile on his face, our eyes connected and my heart jumped in my chest. He moved quietly over to me unlike his father, his eyes holding mine the entire time. He brought his hand up to cup my fevered cheek just ever so gently.

"I am home." He whispered to me placing a kiss on my forehead like before. I don't think I could have gotten any redder than I did just then, but at the same time it felt nice. If he was going to keep playing these games with me, then I could throw him back some thunder.

I looked up at him from under my eyelids, a nice blush still staining my cheeks.

"Welcome home, dear." I said quietly back to him giving him a gentle smile. I watched as surprise flittered over his face before he quickly tucked it away, his bright green eyes darkening in lust. My smile widened as I felt his arm that was around my waist tighten slightly as he held me close but not too close to disrespect his parents.

* * *

 **Ayame POV**

We didn't stay too long after super. Kyoga dismissed Kiki to go back other family before we sat down ourselves, now it was just me and Kyoga walking back. I excitedly told him about my day with his family.

"I like Kohana, she is very nice." I told him. He smiled at my enthusiasm.

"I meant to introduce you better at some point, but I am glad that you had fun today with them." He said. I looked at him, some would say that he was grinning like a fool. I studied his face as we walked, and he noticed.

"What? Do I have something on my face?" He asked his hand moving to his chin. I shook my head.

"I was just trying to imagine you as a child. Kohana told me stories about your childhoods together, but I just can't imagine you as a child." I told him. Kyoga had seen photos of my childhood back at the shrine, but apparently there where no cameras in the village. I only have my imagination to go off of, I frowned slightly.

Kyoga seemed to ponder something before he stopped walking. I turned back a few steps ahead of him. He looked at me, still he grabbed my hand.

"Come with me!" he said tugging on my arm. I struggled to get my feet up under me as he walked off in a different direction than before.

"K-Kyoga! Where are we going?" I asked as he drag me along. He turned back to me with a huge grin on his face, my heart sputtered.

"You'll see." He told me as he drag me further outside the village to a spot in the dirt. Kyoga bent down and began to draw in the sand.

"What are you doing?" I asked trying to peek over his shoulder. It was dark but the moon was just bright enough to see the ground.

"Hold on." He mumbled and continued drawing. I waited patiently beside him until he was done. He stood up and I looked down into the dirt. There was a drawing of an akayashi with wolf ears and tail that bared a resemblance to Kyoga, but was obviously younger. The drawing itself wasn't exactly what Picaso would call a master piece, I tried to stifle a laugh but was caught anyways.

"Hey! Don't laugh! I worked really hard on that piece!" Kyoga said in mock horror. I couldn't help but laugh out loud this time. Beside me Kyoga grabbed me and started tickling me, saying that I would pay for laughing at his art.

Tears from laughing so hard, rolled down my face as I tried to get away from his hands. I turned in his arms, and came face to face with Kyoga only inches away.

Time had felt like it had stopped. Kyoga stopped tickling me then, pulling my body closer to his, our eyes locked. My heart thumped hard inside me chest with the way he was looking at me. If there ever was a time that I had felt Cupid's arrow, it was now.

Kyoga brought our lips slowly closer together, slowly driving me insane. I wanted him, here and now. I wanted to feel him connected to every part of me, to burn every inch of my skin with these lips. I wanted him.

Our lips were so close now… and then something changed. The hair on the back of my neck stood on end and a deathly chill rolled down my spine. My eyes shot open and I pulled back slightly.

"Kyoga, wait." I said trying to understand what I was feeling. Kyoga's eyes were still filled with lust for me as his hand cupped around the back of my neck gently as ever.

"No." He whispered trying to close the distance again. I pushed against his chest this time, something was wrong. Kyoga finally noticed me and pulled away.

"What?" He asked still holding me to him. I had felt this feeling before, back home. Realization hit me then, I had felt these eyes on me before. Now I felt like they were racking them all up and down my body. I felt vulnerable, my stomach rolled.

"You remember when I told the guys that I felt like someone had been watching me?" I asked him. Kyoga's eyes got serious and he nodded.

"I don't know why or where they are coming from, but I feel them now." I said.

"What? Here? Right now?" He asked his arms tightening around me as his eye roamed the forest behind me. I nodded, craning my neck to look to, but Kyoga's hand gripped my chin and brought it up to his face.

"Don't look, it might give us away. Go back to the castle and send Aoi. Tell him that I am investigating something and to come to the southern woods and to bring the other clan heads, especially Miyabi." I nodded slightly.

"What is it?" I asked, my hands gripping his cloths to keep them from trembling.

"A scent. One that I don't recognize. Whatever you do don't look back." He said the words scaring me and chilling me to the bone. How could I-?

"But Kyoga-" I began but was quickly cut of by his reassuring voice.

"Don't worry about me, I'm not going to start something I can't finish. Just pretend we had an argument and you're upset. I don't want this to get away." Kyoga's eyes where serious but he meant every word he spoke. I nodded and he kissed my forehead before he dropped my waist.

"Go." he told me. I felt sick doing this but it would be easier for him if he didn't have to protect me." I walked off in the direction of the village at a faster pace than I'd normally walk and didn't look back even though all I wanted to do was run back to him. A tear fell from my eye as I kept walking.

* * *

 **Kyoga's POV**

I watched Ayame as she left, keeping ears and nose on the forest. Ayame wrapped her arms around herself as she left, a salty scent pierced my nose. I hated sending her away like that, but something was off. I don't understand why Ayame felt it before me but that was hardly the issue.

When Ayame was out of sight I looked up at the moon, soaking in the light it casted off, as I waited. I looked pensive on the outside but I was on edge about this scent. It prowled the edge of the village, now I felt it's eyes on me. I resisted the urge to growl.

I didn't have to wait very long, Aoi works fast.

"Miyabi, do you recognize this scent as the one that was in Ayame's hair the other day?" I turned to Miyabi. Miyabi turned his nose up to the wind, taking in the scent that had moved further back into the forest.

His eyes opened, a deep golden honey staring back. A firm nod affirmed my suspicions. I grinned, it had been a while since the clan heads had something to do.

"How about we play hide and seek?" I asked a smile lifting all of their faces. It had been a game we played as kids, of course most of the time me or Miyabi would win, but now it was a mission that we each had a role in.

Miyabi and I took teams and Chikage took to the sky. I was going to figure out what this was.

* * *

 **Ayame's POV (A/N: I write to songs that fit the mood of the chapter, makes it feel more dramatic to me. But I was listening to 'California king bed' by Rihanna for this section. I'll start these notes for those who like to listen while they read.)**

I sat around for a few hours after Kyoga and the guys had gone out. I had successfully accomplished bitting my nails down to the quick. What if something happened? What would happen then?

I had my back turned towards the door as I paced the floor, the sudden sound of the door sliding open made me jump out of my skin. Kyoga blinked a little shocked.

"You're still up?" He asked. I gave him a look.

"You seriously thought I could just go to sleep after all that? I've been worried sick!" I said throwing my arms around him. I pulled back slightly after looking into his face, his eyes looked worn and dark circles loomed under his eyes.

"Besides, it's _you_ that should be resting."I trailed my thumb under his eyes. Kyoga pulled my arms away from him.

"I'll be fine. I just came to check on you." He said. My face scrunched up in confusion as I caught the undertone.

"You're not staying?" I asked.

"I have more stuff to work on tonight in the office." He said in a soft voice. Was he serious? Was there anything I could do to help?

"Kyoga, what happened out there?" I asked wanting to help in anyway I can. He looked at me in the eye, I felt like something wasn't right.

"Nothing happened, we followed the scent and it turned out to be nothing." He said. Why did I feel like he was lying to me?

"Kyoga I want to help. I-" I began but was cut off again.

"You are helping. I just need you to be safe." His words having the opposite effect that he intended, more sweet lies? It was already three in the morning.

"But Kyoga, you're-" I started.

"Ayame, I said I was fine!" he snapped. Kyoga moved to the other side of the room and leaned up against the wall, his nose pinched in between his fingers. Why was he trying this hard?

"Kyoga… all I want to do is help. You're exhausted." I said keeping control over my voice.

"Ayame, I have a job to do. I am a leader to this clan and this village, I can't just sit around and watch you!" Kyoga raised his voice. I was stunned, this was something he never did. If it was the lack of sleep talking that was one thing, but did he really think like this? I felt a little angry and hurt, my own voice raising a notch of it's own.

"I am not a child Kyoga. You don't _need_ to watch me do anything." I told him. His dead eyes turned back towards me, before he sighed and walked towards the door like there was no reasoning with me. _'Like a child'_ echoed in my head.

"Where are you going?" I asked, angry that he was just going to walk away right now of all times.

"My office, like I said I have work to do." He said with out turning back to face me.

"Kyoga, please let me help." I said, trying to rectify all that we had together. I didn't want him to go, not while we where like this.

"I can't handle you and the problems I have to solve in the village right now!" He said exasperated.

"I am a problem to you?" I asked a stunned.

"No, you're human and there is a lot that you can't understand." He says in the same tone as before. I am stunned again, and I feel a little hurt by his words just now. I thought we where over the differences between humans and akayashis by now. I feel my face drop as I realize the situation now. He wasn't telling me about the issues of the village because… I was human.

Kyoga watches as my face drops and he runs over the words in his head again before realization hits him to.

"Ayame..-" He begins in a softer tone. I don't look into his eyes, and he steps towards me. I back away from his advances. It's not that I don't want him right now, I just don't want him like he is right now. I turn my back on him as I fold my arms across my chest, like I am trying to hold myself together. I just need time alone for now.

I feel Kyoga hesitate for a moment before I hear his hard cold voice call out to me.

"I'll be out all night, so don't wait up for me. Please, stay inside tonight." He says, The words break my heart but I stand strong until I hear the door to our room close shut. I try to hold back the tears, but they rip out of me, breaking into the silence of the night.

* * *

 **Dear readers. I had such a hard time writing this chapter, and I know it's long but I was enveloped in it and the way it turned out I** **could't bare to cut anything out of it (I have trouble doing vocal dialogs, so I really had to stretch outside of my comfort zone for you guys on this one). I felt like voltage plays up the characters relationships to fiction so I wanted to provide a different more realistic side than what we see in the games. So I am sorry that I left this chapter after a big fight with so many other unanswered questions. BuT there is more to come! please stay with us!**

 **~ love from WBI and Jninja!**


	8. Chapter 8

**Alright guys! This chapter is up! IKR,** **finally! I had a lot of problems with the last part of this chapter, I wasn't sure just what my characters wanted to do so that's why it took so long. That and school had finally started back up! But I am very excited to get moving again. SO thank you for being so patient! I hope that you like it.**

* * *

 **Ayame's dream**

 _I glared at the Akayashi in front of me, my blood boiling in my veins. A strange look crossed his face at my words._

 _"_ _Human's have always been a source of food for us, they don't have intellectual thoughts." the man said. He sounded like he was trying to convince himself more than he was communicating with me. Still the idea that human's weren't capable of any higher thoughts than animals angered me._

 _"_ _We are no lesser a creature than you are. One born of night the other born of the dawn, from heaven and hell, we take the same form. The fact that we are capable of speech should be proof enough." I glared at him. His eyes narrowed at me, but not in anger but like he was questioning some thought inside of him._

 _"_ _Then if you believe that we are equals then you are a murderer to our kind and savages to be dealt-" He began._

 _"_ _Your kind murdered my family in cold blood before mine and my sister's eyes. If you have the audacity to claim that you are the more civil than what you accuse me of, then you have a serious loss sense of personal conviction." I stood my ground as he towered over me._

 _"_ _You're parents lost their life to sustain life." He rebutted._

 _"_ _My parents were murdered in cold blood. Nothing was taken from them but their lives." I told him bluntly. HIs eyes searched mine, his mind spinning like a spinning wheel._

 _Suddenly he stepped back away from me, but this time I did not run. He offered his hand out to me._

 _"_ _Come." His eyes looking away from me. Now was my turn to look confused._

 _"_ _W-what?" I asked. Was this some kind of trick? I looked back and forth between him and his hand._

 _"_ _Come, I'll help you escape." My eye's widened and I hesitated. Slowly, keeping my eyes on him, I slipped my hand into his large ones. When I did, he swept me quickly up into his arms, my reflex reaction making me cling to his neck, I blushed._

 _The wolf man ran with speed of that of a demon out of hell itself. I clung to him for the dear life of me, half afraid I had signed my own life away trusting this wolf, the other half… enthralled by the speed._

I _felt my heart run just as quickly inside my chest as his feet touched the ground. The inside of his chest became a warm cocoon that shielded me from the cold snow. I looked up and was surprised when he brought me just outside my village in a matter of minuets. On the outskirts I could see the small house me and my sister lived in._

 _He placed me back on my feet and I quickly stepped away from him gingerly. His eyes still never left me. I looked back up at him, my eyes full of questions that stuck to my lips._

" _T-Thank you.." I said and looking down, thinking maybe not all Akayashi were bad… just maybe. I bowed as politely as I dared, and trugged off back to the village._

 _Before I had taken ten steps, the man was in front of me. I gasped, put on edge again, I reached up and slapped him a cross the face, my eyes squeezing shut automatically._

 _The wolf stifled a laugh, and failed miserably. I dared to open one eye at his reaction._

" _Sorry, humans are so different.." He said, I looked up at him and was stunned by his smile. My heart leapt in my chest at the sight._

" _What, might your name be if I may ask?" he asked looking away from me.. was that embarrassment? His cheeks where slightly flushing. I stared back at his face… it was so human. Surely…_

" _A- Asami," I stuttered over my name. A blush would have colored my face, if it hadn't already been from the cold._

I _looked down, curiosity getting the better of me. Did I dare? I looked up at him from under my lashes._

" _And, might I ask what your's might be?" my voice soft._

" _Akio. " he replied. She blinked once._

" _Well… Thank you… Akio." I moved past him and further into the village. I felt his eyes watch me as I left, something telling me this would;t be the last that I saw of Akio._

* * *

 **Ayame's POV**

I woke up then, my head pounded. I looked at my phone for the time. I had only been asleep for a little over two hours, but it felt like I hadn't gotten any at all. I sat up in bed and looked at the spot next to me. I guess he really wasn't coming back tonight.

I was wide awake now and the castle was dead silent since it was only five in the morning. I thought about what I knew about the village, what I know about my blood. Those eyes kept coming back to me. It had to be another akayashi, but what could it have been for Kyoga not to recognize it _and_ not find anything.

I realized he was hiding things from me, but was that simply because I was ignorant to the ways of the village? My mother had told me that history tends to repeat itself if we didn't study the past. I was going to be Kyoga's wife, maybe it was time I took the liberty of studying to understand and help Kyoga as head of his clan.

I decided that I was too awake to sleep more now, so I got up and dressed myself. Outside my room the halls where abandoned, so I made my way to the library inside the castle.

The room was filled with many books, working at the library back home, I quickly familiarized myself with the system. I started with the early history of akayashi. It was uneventful, mostly prophecies that read about akayashi being descendants from hell itself, creatures of the night and so on.

Then I pulled out a history book in the back corner, the book looked like it hadn't been touched in centuries, when a old sheet of paper slid out from between the book and the wall. It fluttered to the ground at my feet. Gently I sat the history book down and picked up the slip of paper.

The paper was old and looked like it had been ripped from the pages of a book long ago. Reading the old japanese I was able to just make out what had been written. A creature from heaven bringing forth a prophecy to the akayashi.

"Children of the night, head word. A child of the dawn, chosen by heaven, will come unto you every thousand years; it's blood will sustain your flesh; it's skin will smell as sweet as honey and give you renowned strength. Seek out the child of first light, and bring prosperity to you and your descendants." _Hmmm,_ the name of the celestial being had been scratched out.

I sat the sheet down after reading it several times. Was this prophecy talking about the special blood? If so I could see why so many akayashi wanted to eat me. If someone just took this at face value then it would be easy to interpret it as so. I read the rest of the way through akayashi history, but this was all it mentioned of the special blood.

Sadly the rest of akayashi time was about the struggle against other clans. Conflicts with humans were common at first, but they became scarce as history progressed. I sat back thinking everything through again but my mind kept going back to the prophecy.

The village referred to me as 'the girl with the special blood' but this was the first time I had heard the name, 'child of fist light'. I assumed that the human race was referred to 'children of the dawn' since the prophecy said 'child of', meaning only one would be chosen.

I scanned the shelves for anything that could do with what the 'child of fist light' meant. but came up with nothing. All the books I grazed about 'special blood' didn't tell me much more than what I already knew. I was about to give up now that everyone in the castle was bustling about, when I went to replace the old history book back in the corner, I noticed that something had been place behind it against the back of the shelf.

Curious I pulled it out and opened it. It was just as old as the paper I found. I opened it and realized that this was where it had came from. Leaning against the shelf I began reading.

It had loads about the beginning of akayashi but as I kept reading a nicely drawn image of a girl with long dark hair looked back at me. In shock I dropped the book like it had burned me. How could this be?

With my hands shaking, I picked up the book again and looked at the girl that had appeared in my dreams so many times before. Under her picture read the words, _'Child of first light'._

"Ayame?" Called a voice to me. It was Kiki, I quickly stashed the book inside my morning kimono I was wearing before she rounded the corner a worried look on her face.

"Ayame!" She said sounding relieved.

"Where have you been? I've been worried sick! I almost had to go get Kyoga-sama!" She said giving me a look. I felt bad, if she had gone to get Kyoga, apparently I wouldn't be the only one in trouble as we stood right now. However, I can't say that I completely regretted it either thinking about the book in my kimono.

"Breakfast is ready for you in the hall." She said as she lead me back to the rest of the castle.

* * *

I quickly ate breakfast in silence again by myself. I sighed and didn't eat very much. Afterwards Kiki showed me back to my room, saying that Kyoga wanted me to stay inside all day. It irritated me a little bit, but I had this book to read instead for now.

When I was alone again, I opened the book again. The words were hard to read since they were so faded but I slowly managed. The book wasn't that thick, it was more like a journal than anything else.

I was only able to read a few pages before I was called to dinner. I walked into the hall, to find the rest of the guys had gathered as well, including Kyoga.

I chatted with the guys like I usually did but Kyoga didn't address me at all. Was he still mad about last night? Looking at him, he looked worse, did he really not sleep any last night? I guess I could really say any different about myself.

After dinner Kyoga made to leave to go back to the office. I called out to him, my voice breaking at the end of his name. He looked back at me, his eyes void of all emotion. I felt like those eye pierced me through the heart with a cold knife.

I was stunned speachless and Kyoga left before I could recover. I walked back to my room completely devoid of anything around me. I sat in mine and Kyoga's room just staring at the wall, What was I going to do? Kyoga just wouldn't slow down for himself or even me.

I sat there a long time when a knock broke me out of my trance. I went to open the door in hopes that Kyoga had finally came to his senses, but the person who loomed in the door way was Miyabi.

My eyes widen as I whispered, "Miyabi..what do you want?" It might of sounded a bit harsh but it's Miyabi afterall.

The Kitsune crossed his arms giving me a playful tone, "My you're certainly feisty once again. Dinner was certainly tense sensing that you and Kyoga are not speaking." Miyabi closed the door shut and continue giving me that satisfied look.

Damn...must be bad if Miyabi is noticing. Agh why is this happening...I hate fighting with Kyoga it gives me so much pain in my heart. I stare down on the hard wood floor, feeling my eyes are starting to become glassy.

Suddenly, I feel like a body is hovering over me. I looked up and see Miyabi giving me a worried expression. His arms wrap around me giving me comfort and warmth. Why is he doing this? Lately Miyabi has been there for me, why is that?

"Look Ayame," Miyabi began as he slowly pets my long hair and it's slowly calming me down, "Remember the first day we met? Pft I thought for sure you would choose me. For some reason you chose Kyoga and I always wonder why is that? What makes him better then me?"

He forcefully pushed me down on my bed, as he is on top of me giving me this painful expression. I am in shock right now, but my pulse is rising up and I feel heat overpowering my body. My chocolate colored eyes are locked on to his golden eyes. Even though I wouldn't admit it aloud, but his eyes are beautiful. I do find Miyabi attractive, but my heart belongs to Kyoga always and forever.

"It's simple I fell in love with Kyoga. The time we spend together is precious too me...I believe him and I have a strong bond. But...he is not being honest with me I feel like he is keeping stuff from me... I don't understand why that is..." My voice started to be a bit loud because I was still in pain and confused at the same time about everything that has become between me and Kyoga. Then Miyabi head moved down to my face. Oh Kami! He is getting way too close! He's not thinking about doing that... is he?

"I have no idea what's making you so angry. Let me make you forget that pain for now.." He seductively whispers. His nose moves the spot just under my ear, taking in a long deep breath as he softly and enticingly drags his nose under my jaw line. My body heated up at the sensational touch and my breathing hitched in my chest. I pushed against his chest trying to escape his touches before we got into much bigger trouble than we already were, only to have my hands pinned above my head in an instant.

"Mm... you smell amazing I want you so badly Ayame," He inhales my scent and lets out another sigh of pleasure. "I am done holding back..." He whispers. What does he mean he's done holding back? My question is quickly answered as his lips begin coming dangerously closer to my own. Miyabi slowly shuts his eyes as he draws nearer, however mine remain wide open.

"Miyabi-" I begin to protest, only to have his lips roughly lay claim to mine, his hands running all over my skin. I'm in shock, this was not happening! I turned my face away from his. Miyabi, however, never missed a beat. His mouth began exploring down my jaw traveling down to taste my exposed neck. I bit my lip trying to hold back a moan, my mind beginning for him to stop.

Tears gathered in my eyes, I was so confused and very much not in a position to do anything about it. I was in pain over Kyoga, what he had made me feel and what Miyabi was doing with me now. Suddenly, I feel Miyabi's teeth against my neck. Through the haze of pleasure Miyabi provided and pure shock, fear overtook all my senses become overwhelmed in terror. Miyabi was going to change the mark?!

"Miyabi! Miyabi, STOP!" I panic and thrash under him. His arms tighten around me holding me still, till we hear the door slide open.

I swear, my heart stopped right then. A dark silhouette of a well known wolf akayashi stood staring daggers our way. My blood ran cold at the site of his icy glare, I was bound speechless still pinned underneath Miyabi.

There where no words to be spoken, as Kyoga stormed towards us, his eyes promised death and where glued on Miyabi. Kyoga grabbed the kitsune by his blonde hair and began dragging him out of the room, with Miyabi sputtering a mixture of profanities from the mouth that was about to change the mark on my neck just moments ago.

I began to get feeling back in my limbs, as a new fear for Miyabi began to surface. I know it might be bad if I tried to step back in the middle of this, but Miyabi had been Kyoga's best friend for years, and Kyoga was not the killer that his eyes betrayed him to be. Pulling my cloths back around me I rushed out of the room, following them into the chilly night air.

Kyoga tossed Miyabi by his hair, that had been wrapped in Kyoga's claws, into the dirt outside the courtyard.

"Kyoga!" I cried out, his name falling on deaf ears. I moved to calm him down, but Samon's arm grabbed me and held me back. I turned back to the guys, their faces all serious as they watched Kyoga about to rip Miyabi's heart right out of his chest.

"Let me go, Samon! I have to stop them!" I screamed however no one answered or even acknowledged me as I remained captive in his arm. I looked back on the stand off before me, my worst nightmare unfolding in front of my eyes. Kyoga bared his fangs against Miyabi who stood in a defensive stance.

"How, dare you touch what is mine, you fuckin' kitsune." Kyoga's voice was feral as it ripped from his throat. I had never heard him talk that way to anyone, not even when the Tora attacked.

"You never played well in the sandbox, Kyoga. You haven't touched her in weeks, you couldn't expect no one to go after her with her walking around smelling like _that._ " Miyabi hissed back at him. Was Miyabi serious?

"Women crave attention and it was obvious by the scent of her arousal earlier, how much Ayame's become bored with you." Miyabi's lips curled into a grin that chilled me to the core. Kyoga let out a growl so loud that I had to cover my ears, his form shaking in rage.

I looked on as Kyoga jumped at Miyabi with lightning speed, his fist connecting with Miyabi's jaw. Miyabi flew back, and Kyoga was on him again. Miyabi was light on his feet as he attempted to dodge Kyoga's claws. I stood in shock as Miyabi's fist connected to Kyoga's stomach.

Kyoga flew back from the force of the impact. Kyoga kneeled, hunched over his stomach where Miyabi had hit him. Kyoga launched back at Miyabi, both exchanging blows so fast I couldn't keep up. None of the guys beside me lifting a finger to stop them. They didn't even acknowledge my presence as I struggled against them. Did they not understand that Kyoga and Miyabi where dead set on killing each other?

No matter how much I screamed at the two, neither one listened to me. Kyoga's growls frightened me, I had never seen this side of him. His growls reminded me of the ones I had heard back in the woods, tears gathered in my eyes as I pleaded with them to stop. Teeth snapped at each other, and orange and blue fire danced around them, the smell of singed hair growing stronger as the battle ensued.

Kyoga and Miyabi fought on equal ground, where Kyoga was faster and stronger, Miyabi was just as elusive and smart. They exchanged pinning each other to the ground, blood oozing from shallow wounds that could just as easily become fatal ones if one gained the upper hand.

Miyabi summoned his fox fire and surrounded Kyoga, an orange flame danced around Kyoga's hands as he readied his stance for the next attack. Before either went in for the attack, both flames were immediately dispersed. Green and gold eyes widened as two of the village elders stood between the two of them.

One of the elders was Kyoga's own father who looked on Kyoga with disappointment, the other elder seemingly Miyabi's grandfather glared at his grandson. Looking around now, the whole town seemed to have come out and seen the exchange between the two clan heads. Kyoga's father voice bellowed into the night sky.

"Everyone is to go back inside their homes, this matter is over and will be resolved under the contract of our village." With that statement the akayashi began to drift back into their homes. Out of seer frustration, I pushed my way out of Samon's arms only to stop just outside of their reach. Kyoga and Miyabi stood looking at each other with such hate that my heart ached. I was the one who ultimately caused this, I should have been more careful. I never meant for any of this to happen.

"Just what do you think you where doing, attacking another clan head like that in front of the village?! And at a time like this..." Kyoga's father was furious. Kyoga's eyes met his father's with both a mix of respect and frustration.

"I apologize to have caused such a distress father, but I could not simply stand by as another man is about to claim what is mine." He said the last part dripping with venom that was aimed at the younger fox before him.

"Miyabi, is this true?" Miyabi's grandfather looked at him. Miyabi folded his arms across his chest as he answered.

"The power of the special blood ripens within her, someone should use it before she's of no use to us!" Miyabi said irritation dripping from his voice. "Kyoga, you've left her alone, someone who would but her to good use should have the power of the special blood."

"She's mine, you keep your hands off of her." Kyoga said grinning his teeth.

"Your wasting it!" Miyabi's voice growing louder. I stood there in shock, they were talking about me as if I wasn't even here... No, like I was an object to be used however they pleased. My head whirled on my shoulders the angry voices melding together.

I was in a state of shock until Miyabi is asked to leave the village for a short period of time to regain his state of mind. Soon all that is left is Kyoga and I. I am chilled to the bone as Kyoga makes his way towards me. I feel stiff, and I naturally lean away from his advancement. Kyoga sighs as he runs his hands through his hair like he aways does when he's frustrated. His eyes take in mine, I am wary of him and he knows it.

"Ayame... Lets talk inside." I stand there looking at him for a while before I am able to move. I had no idea what was going on, but the space between us didn't feel right anymore and I had no idea how to fix it.

* * *

 **Kyoga's POV**

I looked at Ayame, her face was pale, her brown eyes shot wide and her form tensed. I looked into her eyes, they were clouded with apprehension. Miyabi had been right about one thing, I had left her alone too long. I felt this air between us and I really couldn't blame anyone but myself.

We made our way to our room in silence, with her following slightly behind me. When we got to our room I turned towards her, she said nothing. I could smell Miyabi's sent all over her and it ignited my anger once more. I pulled her Kimono down to reveal the mark, making sure it was still mine. She flinched away from my hand and took several steps back, her jaw set like she was fighting back emotions that were raging inside of her.

I was tired and I was angry. Miyabi had touched what was mine, attacked her, yet she flinches away from me?!

"Why are you flinching form me?" I asked with anger that was not her fault. I felt like I was loosing control, not only of the village but of us.

"Do you like Miyabi? Is that it?" I asked in anger. Had Miyabi already weaseled his way inside of what was mine? Ayame cowered at my voice shaking her head, yet she said nothing, tears swimming in her eyes. Everything she was doing was angering me right now. I was trying to fix this but she wouldn't open up to me.

"Then what is it? Cause I can't think of anything that I have done wrong, Ayame!" My voice rises at her, I grab her arm to pull her closer towards me. Ayame still cowers away from me, never looking me in the eyes.

"K-Kyoga," Her voice is so small it hardly reaches my ears. "You're scaring me." In my hand her wrist is shaking as she says this. I realize that my hand is wrapped tightly around hers, I immediately drop it. I turn away from her wondering how are we going to fix this. I am so angry right now and she's scared of me because of it. I sigh, before speaking in a softer tone.

"We'll talk about this later." I say walking towards the door.

* * *

 **Ayame's POV**

"We'll talk about this later." His voice was soft as he shut the door. I felt absolutely horrible. I was scared, and bewildered over everything that had happened tonight. I couldn't get the image of Kyoga's eyes out of my head. My lungs felt like they were detached.

My heart felt like it was being ripped in two, as my body slid down the side of the wall I had backed up against. Was this what it meant to be human in the world of akayashi, to be thought of as a possession? I knew what me and Kyoga had back home at the shrine never felt like this, I felt loved and cared for, and above all protected. Here it was completely the opposite. I felt lost in a world I had barely yet come to understand.

I wrapped my arms around my stomach, with tears rolling down my cheeks. I could ask to go back to the shrine, but that would only cause more problems than we already had. My head sun around and around on my shoulders trying to think of a way to help solve any of this, but coming up very short handed.

Why did Miyabi have to come in like that? It's not like I asked to have this huge target on me that drove every akayashi to want me in one way or another. I felt like I was causing so much pain everywhere I went, and I was helpless to stop any of it.

That night I cried myself to sleep, just trying to think of anyway I could make this right again.

* * *

 **Kyoga's POV**

I left the castle, my blood boiling inside of me. I wasn't upset with her, Miyabi was someone that you needed to keep your eyes on, yet even I didn't expect him to pull something like that. I ripped my claws through the side of a pine just outside of the village. I needed to blow off steam, and this was the only way I knew how at this time of night.

I had scared her, I looked at my hand that had been wrapped so tightly around her small wrist. I had never imagined I would be such a man to forget my own strength. I kicked at a large rock, making it shatter underfoot. I was tired and my body felt it, but with all the problems in the village and now between me and Ayame I had problems falling asleep and staying asleep for more than an hour.

I moved deeper into the forest, running out of steam the deeper I went. I hurled a fire ball into the forest, being careful not to catch anything ablaze as I did so. I was sweating and my body shaking for both frustration and exhaustion. How did something like this happen? Why was everything falling apart?

The boy that Ayame saved over a week ago had very little information to offer. So far several more okami clan members had been murdered and we had found nothing to help move us forward in ending this. My clan was feeling the weight of this issue, our numbers steadily dropping. I leaned up against a tree nearest me, looking up into the night sky. Very little light shone down tonight, the dark clouds covering over the entire sky. For a human out would be impossible to see, but I could see just enough to walk.

It was then that my left ear turned against my head. I had heard something, a small truffle in the leaves behind me. The wind shifted just then and I recognized the sent form a few nights ago. I turned to see a dark figure hovering along the shadows. I couldn't see just who it was, but the shadow resembled that of an okami.

"Who are you?" I asked, my teeth bared ready for an attack. Was this the person responsible for attacking my clan? If it was I would personally bring him a living hell.

"My name is unimportant. What is important is that smell lightly covering you." I blinked, my smell? I realized I had just came from mine and Ayame's room, Ayame had been staying there a lot lately so some of her scent must have soaked into my cloths and hair. I tensed, having given her scent to him.

"That's none of your concern." I growled. I would not let him think making a mistake and attacking Ayame would be worth his while in the living. My response only made the dark figure chuckle.

"Good point, it's not. But I should advise you, that it's in your best interest not to invest much into blood such as that. It has a purpose, and only should be used for such. Only bad things will happen if you continue entertain such a delicacy." The figure's tail switched as he said this in a foreboding voice. A growl imitated from my chest at the underlying threat.

"Are you the one attacking my clan?" I asked, my hair standing on end.

"Let it serve as a warning to those who indulge in an abomination." He said before he moved deeper into the shadows. I moved instantly, making for him, my claws outstretched.

"Wait!" I said. A gust of wind blow, blinding me. When I opened my eyes the figure and the scent was gone. This was the person who had been attacking our village... And I let him get away. Anger boiled inside me as I punched the small fig next to me, it crunched as it toppled to the ground beside where I kneeled. I staid like that getting a grip on myself.

I needed to report this, along to all the clan heads... even if that required summoning Miyabi again.

* * *

 **Again very sorry about the delay. A special thanks to our Miyabi expert for writing Miyabi's scene, J-ninja! I couldn't have done it without you! Next chapter coming up ASAP! promise! ~WBI**


	9. Chapter 9

**Yay! Fanfiction's back up guys and now the next chapter! Getting down to business guys! Enjoy and don't forget to tell us how we did by commenting and favoriting us! ~ WBI and J-ninja!**

* * *

 **Ayame's POV**

I woke up the next morning, pain in my lower back from having feel asleep against the wall that night. I had ended up sleeping late into the day. Kyoga had sent me a note earlier this morning to stay inside and that Kiki would not be showing up. I tossed the note aside, my heart throbbing from what had transpired last night.

I looked into the mirror, dark circles that match Kyoga's, now rested under my eyes. In all truth, I didn't sleep well. Memories of Akio and Asami had contrasted everything I was feeling with Kyoga right now.

 _Akio came back nearly every day after he had helped her escape. At first he watched her, trying to understand just what she was. Not once had she smiled that night he held her captive, but it seemed to never leave her face in that village she called home._

 _He watched her do her chores with her sister, Yona, and play with some of the smaller village children that were too young to work. Everyday Akio found himself coming closer and closer to the village, but never once set foot inside the sanctuary that Asami called home._

 _Asami never let his presence go unnoticed to her. She would watch him from the corner of her eye, and over time she grew accustomed to him being there._

 _It disturbed them both how they were both drawn like magnets to each other, but soon as winter turned to summer they found themselves infatuated with each other. Asami would join him outside in the later part of the day. They would spend most of their little time together just talking about trivial things, each learning something new about the other before the sun would set._

I looked down at the journal that I had stored up in the small vanity that Kyoga had so kindly supplied me at the beginning of our relationship after the Tora clan had allied themselves with us. I just couldn't look at it anymore today, these visions wore me down enough as it was.

Outside my room, the castle buzzed with business for reasons that where unknown to me. However I felt like if I where to ask someone what was going on, I would only get a run around, per Kyoga's orders.

I sighed as I got myself dressed. Kyoga may have the power to run his clan like he wanted to, but he was also right I wasn't an akayashi and he couldn't keep me locked up inside this gloomy castle.

I dressed in the cloths I came in and pulled a discreet Kimono over it. The hiking boots would look odd if I wore them with the kimono so I wrapped them in a silk cloth to look like I was just carrying some regular old item.

I made my way out of the castle without anyone looking at me for too long and made my way to the outskirts of the village. There I took off the kimono and replaced my sandals with my hiking boots.

I pulled my hair up into a ponytail as I looked into the forest. I really couldn't afford to get lost, so I would stay within sight of the village, but doing this would give me the change of scenery and independence that I was craving right now.

Hiking in these woods was different than hiking in the woods just outside my house. It was harder, but provided the much needed exercise that I needed. I swung my legs over the fallen tree in front of me as I went around the village, looking in on it's inhabitants scurrying about. I frowned looking on the passing people in the background, there was no way that a mere human could ever hope to match up. I felt like I was going to cry, so I turned away from the scene.

The sun that filtered through the treetops was beyond breath taking as the summer flowers bloomed. I realized I couldn't identify some of them, I wondered if they were just indigenous to the mononoke village?

I kept walking and I just so happened to look deeper into the woods at just the right moment at what seemed like a small clearing. If I went into it, I wouldn't be able to see the village anymore but I could just as easily get up my mind, I walked into the clearing, my breath chatting in my throat.

Inside the small clearing, it was no longer that forty yards, but flowers bloomed throughout the field. It was beautiful, I wonder if Kyoga knew that this was here. Inside of the clearing the sun warmed my skin. Feeling a little bit of relief, I twirled in a small circle just taking it all in. A smile breaking on my face, as I fell to the ground after getting dizzy.

I remembered going on trips into the forest with my father and remembering how this made me feel, made me feel strong again. More human if you could say that. It felt like me. I laid there for a while soaking in the scent of the flowers as well as the sun. I could see why Kyoga enjoys taking naps out in my yard, the sun on my skin felt wonderful after the majority of my days being spent inside the castle.

I rubbed my hands lovingly over my stomach as I listened to the wind in the trees and the birds singing, the smell of the flowers tickling my nose. As my hands moved along my stomach, it was slight, but I could defiantly feel the small bump. I wondered why my child would look like. Would they look like me, or more like Kyoga? I imagined myself as a mother, chasing a toddler around just as my own mother had chased me. I smiled remembering my mothers smile, it was times like this that I missed her most. She always knew what to do. I closed my eyes remembering just who my mother was, hoping that maybe I could take something from the memories.

Suddenly, I felt a pair of eyes on me. It wasn't the same pair from before, this was new. I sat up quickly and my heart leapt in my throat. There at the edge of the clearing was a wolf. I staid down where I was, not wanting to provoke it and avoided it eyes like they tell you to do. Please tell me this wasn't the same wolf that attacked the young boy the other night.

The wolf moved, making my eyes lock with it. It's eyes where a deep cerulean blue that was surrounded by dark brown hair. The wolf stood a bit taller than I had imagined a wolf would stand but there was something else about this wolf.

Looking into these eyes I felt like I had looked into them before. Something told me to trust it. I slowly stood up and the wolf walked up to me, it's head coming to level with my waist. It dipped its head under my hand that hung at my side, before turning and waling back to the edge of the wood. It turned it's head back to look at me.

"Do you want me to follow you?" I asked, not really sure if I sounded silly or wolf just looked at me for a moment more before he took a couple more steps into the wood and looked back at me.

I shook my head, this was crazy. Stuff like this only happened on things like that american movie 'Lassie'. I glanced back towards the village, if I left there was no telling if I could find my way back. My father had always been one to mark the path that you take, so I figured breaking some of the branched might hep me come back if this was a bust.

I followed behind the wolf, tagging the branches that I could reach. It lead me deep into the woods, and over some small creeks that I tried my best to climb over and not get too wet.

Before long it led me to the small cave that was covered by the forest. The wolf waited for me to come closer before going inside the cave throughout the vines that sheltered it's entrance.

Inside looked like it had humans living in it once before but, that seemed to be a really long time ago. Most of the things abandoned in here had taken the hit over the years. In the back of the cave the wolf whined a little to get my attention as he was scratching up against the wood of a covered box.

I went over and the wolf made way for me. I lifted the sheet that had been draped over the box to reveal that despite the years this seemed to be the one thing that had relatively remained intact. I opened the small box and the inside had more cloth coverings , but once I removed those my eyes widened. Inside was a small bracelet that was crafted so elegantly I couldn't believe my eyes.

The bracelet had small beautiful white stone that reminded me of the color of the moon. One of the charms caught my eye. The charm looked like a small tooth from a canine that had been elegantly attached to the bracelet. Normally I wouldn't have cared for the tooth, but it seemed to be something more, as it became a part of the design. I turned the bracelet over in my hands, when something behind me made my heart stop.

"That bracelet was my wife's." I whipped around to see in the spot that the wolf had once been, stood a very familiar looking man. Akio's ice blue eye bore into my dark brown eyes. I was so shocked I was speechless.

"My apologies for the shock, my lady." Akio said. His stance was that of formality and he looked exactly like he did in my dreams. Akio stood there waiting for me to recollect myself.

"Am I still dreaming?" I asked not quite believing Akio was standing in front of me.

"I'm afraid not. Asami had her way of doing things." He said, patient as ever. I pinched my arm discreetly to be sure, and I obviously wasn't dreaming.

"So you are the one that brought me here?" I asked trying to wrap my mind around it. Suddenly 'Lassie' was starting to sound the more sane of the two options.

"I did. The wolf is an easier form to maintain." He explained, his stance unchanging. I nervously fumbled with the bracelet in my hand, and his eyes traveled down to it.

"The bracelet was a gift from me to her. The tooth is my own fang." I blanched at his words. I looked at the charm in my hand.

"This is yours?" I asked. He nodded at my response.

"I crafted it for her the summer I found myself in love with her." I nodded remembering the images from my dream last night, of course I saw it all from Asami's eyes. I felt what she felt, but I hadn't seen where he gave her the bracelet.

"It's beautiful." I said my voice soft and full of genuine awe. Akio nodded at my complement, the edges of his mouth slightly curving at some long memory long forgotten by time.

"I originally created the bracelet as both a token of my devout love for her and to provide her an extra protection." Akio continued.

"So, why exactly did you bring me here?" I asked. What did he want from me? I shifted from foot to foot, still holding onto the bracelet. Why was I so on edge? Akio took his time answering my question, before he spoke.

"There are forces at work that you don't yet understand." He began. Why was everyone saying that, these days?

"These forces even the current okami clan head doesn't understand. Much of what has happened has been erased from our history. Sadly it's a problem that me and Asami began long ago." Akio's voice sent a chill down my spine. What was he talking about? Akio continued.

"Not all akayashi agreed with the idea of mingling with humans and dirtying the blood lines. Before I created the mark with Asami, the first for the okami clan, my feelings for her beyond what her powers offered, stirred a lot of conflicted feelings. My Brother, Reiji, being one of them. It created a rift in the Okami clan that has been unseen since. Asami made a lot of changes to the bracelet, ones only a child of first light can unravel." Akio gestured to the bracelet in my hand. I looked at it, it just looked like a normal bracelet, what kind of protection did it provide? Akio stepped closer to me.

I watched as Akio gently wrapped the bracelet around my hand and clasped it, his eyes gazing on it for just a second longer. "Even I don't fully understand everything she did, but she treasured this bracelet above anything else that I knew of." I watched as so many memories roll behind his eyes and the emotions that can with them. Akio truly loved Asami.

"It was never the bracelet she[I] treasured, above anything else it was you." My mouth opening, the words coming not from me but from somewhere inside of me. Then at the same time they where my own, if it had been Kyoga I would have wanted to say the same to him.

Akio's eyes searched mine before his eyes found something in the depths of them. His hand cupped my cheek in his, his eyes looking past me but into me. It was strange but he found some connection in there. Then his eyes refocused a new light burning in his perfectly blue eyes, he dropped his hands as he refocused on me.

"She would have wanted you to have it." He says this, his eyes moving over to the entrance of the cave, which had become strangely dark, like a storm was rolling in.

"My time is almost out. You should make your way back to the village." I looked back at him as he said this, his form seemingly transparent. But who was he talking about? What force did we not understand? I made to vice my questions but the akayashi who once stood before me was gone.

The cave seemed creepy now that Akio wasn't here. I looked at the bracelet on my wrist, the beautiful stones glistening as I rolled them around, the tooth adding a feel to it that was distinctly okami style. Making sure the clasp was closed tightly around my wrist, I made way for the village once more.

* * *

 **Kyoga's POV**

Today had been more productive than the last few days had been, and I finally felt like I was getting somewhere by one aspect. Ayame kept running through my mind. We didn't make up last night like I had wanted to, but maybe if I got done what I could today we could iron out our issues.

I kept my nose to the grind, until I was almost finished. My doors opened again to my office, which hand't been uncommon since I had everyone running and doing their job here at the castle. What was unexpected was one of Ayame's guards to come through them.

"Kyoga-sama…" The man hesitated, a plain kimono in his hands. I looked at him confused when the scent that came from the kimono hit my nose. Something told me this wasn't good new that he had to share. My mind instantly jumped to the worst possible senarios.

"What happened?" I asked half way growling at the man who cowered from my voice.

"I-Iam sorry, sir. It seems that the lady has slipped out. We had the guards looking all over the village, but this was found at the edge of the forest when her scent disappeared." the man in front of me trembled. As very well he should, but I hadn't the time to waist to deal with him right now.

"Tell Aoi to meet me outside the village, now!" I said my bark becoming a part of my bite. ' _Stupid girl! I told you to stay inside today.'_ I thought as I grabbed the top part of my kimono and headed out the door.

I trailed Ayame's scent through town to the edge of the forest before Aoi caught up with me.

"Kyoga! What happened to Ayame?" He asked as he came up to me.

"I don't know." I sniffed the air, as the guys had said her scent ended here. Panic threaten to over take every last sense I had left. "Her scent ends here."

Aoi smelled the air as we before he nodded as well. The wind shifted then, the storm blowing in when I was hit with her scent again, coming from just a little bit deeper in the forest. Aoi and I both looked at each other, before racing off in the direction that it came from.

Before long we came into a small clearing, her scent seeming centered mostly on one spot, but Ayame was nowhere to be seen. My nerves where starting to get the best of me. What could she have been doing way out here, when I asked her to stay put?

I was about to consult Aoi, when our ears flicked to the right. There stood….

* * *

 **Ayame's POV**

I followed my markings back to the meadow, feeling a little bit proud of myself after having gotten lost trying to come to the village by myself last time. I was just getting back to the clearing when my eyes snapped up, all color draining from my face.

Aoi and Kyoga stood there waiting for me. I focused on Kyoga's face as worry, washed into relief which washed away into anger. I was angering him a lot lately. I took a step closer onto the edge of the clearing when Kyoga spoke up.

"Where were you?! I thought I told you to stay inside today?" His voice was angry on top but he was truly worried about me. I was touched by his concern, but I was a grown woman. I didn't think that it was a good idea to tell him everything that had just happened so I just stuck to the basics.

"I- I went for a short walk-" I said before he quickly cut me off.

"Why? The woods are not a safe place for you to be by yourself right now!" His anger was growing but this time I wasn't going to back away from him and met him head on.

"Well it's not like you have the time to sit around and watch me!" I said throwing his own words back into his face.

"You're right I don't have the time right now. That's why I told you to stay inside the castle today." he said, but I had him right where I wanted him.

"I'm not a child Kyoga! I am a woman, and you just can't ignore me and make me wait for when you decide to come home, if you come home at all!" My hands shook at my side as I let out everything that I had been feeling these last few days. Sorry Aoi.

"All this time I've been worried sick about you, trying to do my best to understand even though I am human even though what I can do amounts to very little in your eyes. I just want to help you, but I can't do that if you just throw me to the side." I ranted out, my anger quickly loosing it's flame.

"Ayame… come back inside and lets talk about this in private, it's dangerous out here right now." Kyoga called out to me, his voice soft.

"Why? It's not like you're going tell me what's going on!" I cried out. Kyoga sighed a great breath.

"Just come…" he said again. I shook my head quickly as tears flowed down my face. I felt irrational right now and my emotions just couldn't take it anymore.

"Is it really a still just about my power? When it's gone, I'll be of no use to you like Miyabi said last night?" I cried, tears rolled in fat waves down my cheeks. I didn't want to be something that he would just throw away one day when he had his fill of me.

"Ayame, I never said that! You are someone who is irreplaceable to me." I looked up at his face as Kyoga kept talking. His warm loving face peering back at my tear stained one, his arm stretched out towards me. "Even after you've lived a long human life and I am still here, you will always be the only woman for me… ever. Please Ayame… come home with me?" He said waiting for me this time. As his words sunk in a wave of relief washed over me, I would make him listen to me and I would finally tell him everything that's been going on.

I reached out for his hand, when suddenly my whole world went black.

* * *

 **Dun-dun-duuuuuun!**


	10. Chapter 10

**Good grief guys! I am soooo soooo sorry! I promise that we will be ones to finish this story, no matter what, so just bare with us! But hey! Who cares what I have to say up here, right? Chapter 10 is finally posted, and I can't wait to let you guys read it. I've run into some time this weekend and I'm going to write as much as I can to help sling shot you guys into the ending of our story! More questions are about to be answered as our characters evolve!**

 **~WBI and J-ninja!**

* * *

 **Kyoga's POV**

I looked into Ayame's eyes. Why had I let all of this come in between us? I looked at her, with tears rolling down her face, she was still the most beautiful thing I had ever seen.

"Ayame, I never said that! You are someone who is irreplaceable to me." I looked down into her eyes that flashed up to me, as I kept talking as I reached out to her. "Even after you've lived a long human life and I am still here, you will always be the only woman for me… ever. Please Ayame… come home with me?"

I watched at Ayame's troubled eyes clear as the words I spoke rang with truth. She reached out her hand towards mine, and then she was gone.

A cloud of scent replaced where Ayame, just stood. Following the familiar scent across the field was the last person I wanted to see touching Ayame. That figure from last night.

The man had bright red eyes that stood out provocatively against his translucent skin and dark hair that fell into his face on one side. A blonde streak running through his bangs that laid over his eye patch. Small piercings covered the brown ears that marked him as an Okami descendent.

The man had Ayame tossed over his shoulder, her body limp but breathing. I growled impossibly loud, how had I not sensed him? Beside me Aoi was just as lost as I was, but quickly recovered.

"Just who are you? Don't tell me you're the one who's been attacking the villagers!" Aoi was hot, his tail standing on end as he snarled at the guy in front of us. The man's face was one of a psychopath that was bored as his red eye glared at Aoi.

"And what of it?" He asked, not even concern that he just admitted to slaughtering a hand full of akayashi, including women and children. This was obviously someone who we needed to be careful around. I stepped in front of Aoi, trying to control the situation. I couldn't have him hurting Ayame.

"What do you want?" I asked trying to defuse him some how. His eyes turned towards me, I controlled a shiver that threatened to roll down my back. This guy was intense, his eyes where those of a murderer. I thought about all the ones that he had killed within the last few weeks, wanting nothing more than to take those bloody hands off of Ayame.

"I warned you to not to indulge in an abomination such as this." His voice was dull like he was repeating something had had told a child many times. I suppressed a growl inside my throat. What could I say to get him to let Ayame go?

As I was racking my brain for something to say, the man's eyes closed lazily. "Fighting me would not be a wise choice, it would be over in a matter of seconds."

"What did you say, you little punk?!" Aoi yelled from beside me. Red eyes looked back at me, seemingly ignoring Aoi.

"But if you or any of the other clan heads feel like rushing into a premature death for this girl, then by all means feel free to find me after the storm." The man turned his back towards us.

"Wait!" I spoke up jumping at him, but my voice fell on deaf ears, wind again rushed into my face, disorientating all my senses. When I opened my eyes back up, the man and Ayame where gone.

 **Kyoga's POV**

I had summoned all the clan heads as the storm passed over head. Aoi and I had looked all around after The guy left with Ayame, and even her scent had simply vanished like it hadn't even been there. I ground my teeth together in dire frustration.

"What do you mean her scent was just gone?! Your clan is supposed to be the best at tracking, there's no way that you wouldn't be able to pick up on something like that!" Shinra exploded as soon as we told them everything that had happened. I clenched my hand, why was he asking such a stupid question at a time like this. What was important was finding Ayame, before he hurt her. The storm that had rolled in was horrible, and it was impossible to be out in it, even as akayashi.

"Shinra, calm down just a bit. We need to think of this rationally." Yukinojo said in an attempt to keep us on track. "I don't suppose that you have any ideas, Chikage?"

The look on Chikage's face was one of complete focus, but he was obviously stressed. "I haven't been able to find any documents on how he's able to cover his scent. it's been virtually unheard of, I even traveled to different Akayashi establishments in hopes of finding information."

So there where no leads. I paced up and down the room, trying to think of something. Then the door slammed open, revealing a very wet Miyabi, the top of his kimono nearly falling off his shoulders and his long wet hair clung to the exposed muscles around his chest. Looking at him, I was still angry at him for what he was about to do to Ayame, but Miyabi apparently had other plans.

"What, did you guys start the party without me?" He asked in him normal cocky way.

"If you're not going to help Miyabi then just leave. I don't have time to put up with you're antics right now." I said glaring at him, my mouth twitching to bare my teeth at him.

Miyabi just smirked at me as he retorted, "Oh! Sadly I am not afraid of the big bad wolf, so you can put your muzzle on, wolf boy." I rose to wish that he had never stepped foot back through my door, when Samon was the one to speak up next.

"You guys all need to calm down, getting riled up is not going to help us any. Miyabi, If your just going to cause trouble then I suggest you leave before Kyoga rips your throat out."

"Yes, yes I'll remember that, but it seems to me that you might want to hear how to find Ayame." Miyabi said, his smirk growing wider.

"You mean you know where she is?! Why didn't you say something sooner, you damn kitsune?!" Shinra let off again.

"Little oni's should listen to what's being said. I never said I knew where Ayame was, I said I knew how to find her." Miyabi teased.

"Then get to the point, Miyabi." Chikage said.

"You've all been looking in the wrong direction since the beginning. When the attacks on the villagers started, I started looking into it to, thinking that it was impossible to erase someone scent. However looking through some old documents from my clan, it is possible to cover a scent with sorcery." Miyabi said feeling proud of himself.

"If that had been the case then any of us would have been able to trace the trail." Chikage interjected.

"Yes, but this sorcery was made to cover that by pulling in the surrounding scents, making it seem as if the user wasn't there at all and nearly impossible to track even by the Okami clan." Miyabi explained. I sat there taking it in, it was possible. All of the attacks had happened around plants that had a stronger scent than most other plant, pines, medicinal herbs, and then the flowers in the clearing earlier.

"Ok, so how do we track them?" Yukinojo came in, with the head of the problem.

"It's difficult, but Kyoga's our best option at this point." I stared at Miyabi like had had lost his ever loving mind. I had just been around that area frantically searching for that scent and couldn't find it. It would be even worse trying to pick it up with this storm.

Miyabi read my face and he continued. "We are not looking for their scent in the area that they disappeared. That clearing had flowers that will not grow in any other place in the forest, the scent from those flowers will lead us to where Ayame is."

I looked at Miyabi, he was dead serious about this. I didn't even understand all that he said, was he sure this was going to work? I was hesitant, what if this didn't work for one reason or another? However, this was the only idea we had to go by so far, no matter how crazy it was.

 **Kyoga's POV**

By the time Miyabi explained to us how we would proceed the rain had slowed down significantly. We started out in the clearing and Miyabi was right, the flowers that bloomed here couldn't be found in the surrounding forest, and because the type was indigenous to the village meant that they wouldn't bloom in the human world either.

"Okay, the scent from these flowers are strongest here," Miyabi said as he and I stood in the middle of the clearing. "The further away from this spot you go the scent should dilute and blend with thereat of the scents in the forest. But because the guy used sorcery to use this scent from the flowers to cover his, the scents from the flowers will be misplaced."

"So in other words, we follow the scent from the flowers and any place where the scent is stronger than it should be that will be the scent we follow?" I asked trying to make sure I understood.

"Right you are." Miyabi said smiling at me. The other guys stood behind me as I took in the scent around me. Trailing around where the scent was weaker, I was highly doubting that this work when I hit a scent that was like walking right back into that clearing.

"You find it yet Kyoga?" Shinra said sounding completely bored. I sniffed the area again, this was defiantly stronger than it should be. I followed the trail slowly at first, but the trail didn't get any weaker. Yesterday when I came through here, I thought the wind had just displaced it.

"I got it! Come on!" I said taking off in the direction of the scent. Miyabi paced himself next to me.

We ran about twenty miles, when I felt the scent begin changing. This time I could smell Ayame and his scent mixed together, then they disappeared again. This was getting irritating. I looked around, there was literally nothing. If he covered his scent a second time form here, then I doubt I would be able to find it again as this whole section of the forest was all the same.

My ear twitched as something cracked. The man that took Ayame stepped out from behind a large pine, his red eye looking as apathetic as ever.

"Are you the one who took Ayame?!" Shinra yelled next to me. The man's face never changed, as his hand remained rested on the sword on his hip. His eye met mine.

"I see you've brought the rest of the clan heads with you this time, Kyoga."The man replied coldly, ignoring Shinra.

"Where Is Ayame?" I asked, my voice dripping in anger, I had enough of his little mind games. I was ready to rip him limb from limb by this point. His red eye closed, like he didn't perceive five head clans as being a threat.

"I haven't laid a finger on her yet, so don't go jumping the gun on things." Was his his only response. Chikage took over before I could have anything else to say.

"Who are you? From the looks of it, I would say that you where Okami." Chikage's less than enthusiastic attitude had nothing compared to this guys. But Kyogawas correct his appearance did differ from the Okami in the village. The coloring of his tail and ears were dark as night, something that hadn't been seen in many years.

"My name is Reiji. I've been waiting for this day for the last 10,000 years." I blanched, that wasn't possible! Even akayashi didn't live that long. He didn't wait for us to respond before he continued.

"My brother's name was Akio, the first Okami to couple with a child of first light. I kept myself alive by secretly feeding off the power of other akayashi. My focus was mainly on the Okami clan, but it surprised me to see so many different kinds of Akayashi falling down the same path of destruction."

"What do you mean by that?" Chikage continued interrogating Reiji.

"Mingling the blood of akayashi and a human is unseemly. Past errors cannot be rectified but the future had yet to be changed for the good of our descendants. My original aim was to rectify the glory of the Okami clan that my brother lead down the road to ruin, but it seems that more than one of our kind has been sucked into coupling with such creatures." His eyes darted to Miyabi, as his eyes narrowed.

"I see that they'll just let anyone become head now a days. In any case you must still be pretty strong to have gotten where you are kitsune. Tell me, how much stronger do you think you could have been if you hadn't been born a half breed?" Reiji's face was completely serious as he spoke to Miyabi, like it had been an acceptable question to ask anyone. Miyabi's hands shook as they stayed by his side, anger literally dripped from his form as it rolled off in waves.

"You don't know anything about me." Was Miyabi's only response, deadly.

"The way I see it, is the girl with the special blood has carved a way for it to be acceptable practice to couple with normal humans. I am sure growing up as a half breed was tough on you. I am not telling you this to hurt you, it wasn't your fault to be born half human but it's shamed you. Can't you, out of any of them, see the dignity I am trying to restore in your village. By using this girl to sustain us in the way nature intended, akayashi like you would be allowed to experience the hight of your abilities." Reiji continued.

"That's enough!" Miyabi and I explained at the same moment. Miyabi continued ,"It's obvious that we differ in a matter of opinion. We could never be as simple minded as you. Having the special blood flow through generations of akayashi has done more good for our village than just one power meal ever could."

Reiji heaved a great sigh, "It's seems that time has brainwashed away your true akayashi natures, and taking away your pride with it." Reiji unsheathed his sword, the light of the moon glistened off the black blade. "I will educate you one what it truly means to be a true akayashi."

The last thing I remember was the sound of Reiji's sword as it cut through the air.

 **Ayame's dream Pov**

I felt like I was floating, just I had no idea where I was. What was the last thing that I remembered? Warm green eyes, Kyoga's eyes. I remembered all the times I had looked into those eyes, each memory playing like a slide show.

I remember his out stretched hand, I moved to lace my fingers with his when the hand changed. His hand grew smaller and more dainty, it quickly becoming someone else's, but who's? I looked up, my eyes catching dark brown eyes similar to my own. There was a regal air about the girl, her long black hair had been braided back into a very elegant braid, that added to her beauty.

"A-Asami?!" I stuttered. How many times had I seen her? Then again I had also seen Akio earlier as well, what exactly was going on? My head spun trying to keep up. The woman in front of me smiled and nodded.

"What's going on?" I asked struggling to stay on my feet.

"I am sorry to have startled you like this, but there are somethings that you need to know." Asami's bell-like voice soothed the rough edges of my frantic emotions.

"What are you talking about?" I asked feeling completely lost. I felt Asami's hands trace the bracelet on my arm, her dark eyes melting as memories that I wasn't seeing passed over her. I was captivated by her, it was obvious the amount of feelings she had for the bracelet as well as the man who made it for her. When her eyes came back and met mine, they were full of sorrow.

"I assume that you've meet Akio already?" she asked, he voice laced with more confidence than her eyes betrayed. I nodded, not really able to find my voice as I looked at the woman before me. Even though she was just as human as me, there was a power within her that I had yet to understand.

"Akio made this bracelet for me over ten thousand years ago, the summer I fell in love with an akayashi. Back then, the mononoke village hadn't even been born." She told me. Something kind of like culture shock shook me, I couldn't even imagine a world where the mononoke village didn't exist.

"I was also the first child of light to create the mark with the Okami caln, second to the Kitsune clan a thousand years earlier. When I created the mark, thats when the Okami clan and the Kitsune clan became allies and created the mononoke village." She explained further. I was in shock, so Kyoga's and Miyabi's clans where the first?

"However before that, something happened in the history of Okami clan." Asami said, looking at me with troubled eyes. My heart dropped, what could have caused Asami so mach pain? I stood there, our hearts connected in this strange way as I remained silent and waited for her to continue.

"Akio's younger brother, Reiji, was firmly fixed on the belief that the akayashi shouldn't mingle with humans. As Akio and I grew closer, Akio's relationship with Reiji grew tense. I still remember the times that Akio would show up with bruises I was sure came from fights between the two." Asami's eyes drifted to the floor, her sadness becoming one with my own.

"Soon the summer was quickly changing into fall, on the night that Akio gave me the bracelet,I felt so happy, to finally have someone in my life who loved me and wanted to take care of me and the people I cared about. However, we didn't notice that someone had been watching us." Her eyes came up and reconnected with mine then with an urgency that made me pay attention.

"Reiji, came to stop us with a small group of followers from Akio's clan. He vowed that he would not see his brother dirty akayashi blood by mating with a human. I remember his eyes that night when our eyes connected, in that moment, I knew if Reiji wasn't stopped, death awaited me. Akio put himself in between me and the other akayashi, easily taking out the others from the clan. All that was left was Reiji and him. I begged them to stop, but they still went at it. I thought that they would kill each other, but then Reii got the upper hand." Asami took a breath, as the images of her memory reflected in my eyes. I could literally feel all the things Asami could remember by memory.

"I couldn't stand it, and I jumped in between them to save Akio. I got hurt pretty badly, but I wanted to protect the man I loved. I remember looking into Akio's eyes before he kissed me with a fire that I had never felt before. We didn't realize it then, but that's when we created the mark that it didn't take Akio long to win the fight, but he held back at the last moment. Akio banished Reiji that night from the clan." Asami looked at me then.

"Reiji preserved his body and powers through a spell that put him too sleep until the next mark was made between the Child of first light and the Okami clan. Since then his powers have multiplied exponentially." Asami's eyes saddened as she said this.

"We should have corrected this problem, before it became yours. I am truly sorry Ayame." I felt blood drain from my face, so Reiji was the one who attacked the village people. My whole body felt numb with panic, and my mouth subconsciously formed the words in my mind.

"What do I do?" I asked. If what Asami said was true, then Kyoga was in over his head. I slowly began to panic.

"You have powers that you do not acknowledge." Asami's voice broke through the panic that has clouded my mind. I looked back up at her, her eyes burning anew.

"Each child of first light has a power to offer, and each one different from the next." I looked at her, her image starting to become more an more transparent.

"Wait! Asami, what is this power? Can it help save Kyoga?" I asked trying to hold on to her.

"The power will come to you in the most unexpected time. You will know it when all is made clear." She said before the scene around me faded once more into oblivion.

 **Ayame's POV**

I woke up with my head pounding furiously against my skull. I moaned and moved my stiff muscles, everything hurt.

"Ayame?" I heard a voice call, my heart jumped at the sound. I opened my eyes to find myself in a dimly lit room, the floor I was laying on was a cold stone. My eyes followed the direction of which the voice came.

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 **Never complete** **without cliff hangers guys! Thanks for reading! Don't forget to review, comment, follow and like our story! It's the easiest way to be notified when we update the story and it help us find more inspiration to write for you guys! New chapter to be updated ASAP, so stay toned! ;)**

 **~WBI and J-ninja!**


	11. Chapter 11

**K girls (and guys), the school semester is wrapping up and we've all got a lot of things going on with the holidays round the corner, but come on! I wouldn't leave you guys without something nice while we're on break! LOL! But anyways this chapter was difficult for us to get down just the way we wanted it to play out... yeah sometimes Ayame and the guys don't exactly do along with all of my plot bunnies... so in other words we needed new bunnies! But I'd like to thank some of the readers personally for their ideas, creative styles and advise, especially Tsuma11644 and MarenKelly for their encouragement and love of our story.**

 **Anyways I'm including a soundtrack for this chapter as well. So listen for dramatic effect!**

 *** YoutubeMusic~Search: "Emotional Dark music- The Eternal Forest" posted by BrunuhVille* (AN: this is split into part. Listen to parts I and II (0:00-3:25)**

 **Ayame's POV**

I woke up with my head pounding furiously against my skull. I moaned and moved my stiff muscles, everything hurt.

"Ayame?" I heard a voice call, my heart jumped at the sound. I opened my eyes to find myself in a dimly lit room, the floor I was laying on was a cold stone and mirrors lined the back walls. My eyes followed the direction of which the voice came.

"Kyoga!" I said startled. Both he and the other akayashi's had been strung up to the wall by a rope. It looked as if the rope had stripped them of their akayashi powers. I moved to sit up, my body screamed at me in pain.

"Are you okay?" Kyoga asked when I reached him. I nodded, the room tilting slightly as I nodded my head up and down. I bit my lip, trying to hide the spell. My finger's pulled at the knots that anchored Kyoga's arm to the wall. They were unfamiliar to me and tightly secured. I was about to ask him the same, when I was cut off.

"Ayame, you need to get out of here now." A new voice called out. I turned to look at Miyabi. His voice was hard and commanding, but it's undertone was full of concern for me. Miyabi was in very bad shape. Blood trickled down his right ear after the tip of it had been given a slight cut, like the ones some of the cats had in my neighborhood. His Left shoulder had also sustained a wound, a circle of blood formed on the shoulder of his kimono.

I stood in shock, looking at the rest of the guys, it was evident that they had sustained a heavy blow. My hands trembled, my stomach heaving as the smell of iron hit my nose harshly. These had been clan heads, the best in the village... but for them to have received so many injuries, it frightened me. It also seemed the rope did more than just suppress their abilities but it also slowed their healing abilities. I tried to avid looking at Chikage's wing as one of them was bent in a most horrible way.

"I know what you're thinking," Yuki spoke up then, "But you have to forget about us and get away from here while you still can." I blinked at him, his perfect skin now battered and bruised. What was he saying? I couldn't leave them like this! I shook my head quickly, not trusting my voice not to break, the dizziness I felt intensifying.

"Don't be stupid, Ayame. We can take care of this, just get out of here!" Shinra raised his voice. Shinra's body was cut to ribbons, blood soaked his kimono more than any of the others. Next to him, Samon nodded and flinched slightly from a wound that I couldn't see.

"I'm just a little bit dizzy, but I'll help heal you guys after I get these ropes-" I began when Kyoga's voice rung out again, a stern tone that left no room for argument.

"Ayame," I looked into Kyoga's green eyes. They were hard, firm, but warm I couldn't look away. "Get out of here. Go to the village." He said. I looked at him, a million different emotions crossing my face as he read each one, following my train of thought faster than I could say the words themselves.

"I swore to protect you, I swear I will protect you. Miyabi can cover your sent for a short period of time, he won't be able to follow you." Kyoga said, his voice stern, leaving no room for any arguments. Tears pulled in my eyes. Kyoga was excellent at reading me, but I could read him just as well, no matter how hard he tried to hide it. He wasn't counting on winning, it hit me that none of them were. It was all I could do to shake my head again as the tears flowed heavily down my face, my head low.

"Ayame, you are the future of our village," Kyoga continued, "Look at me." His voice low, loving, protective. I obeyed him, his eyes piercing my heart a thousand times over.

"Even if it's not with me, my family will take care of you. And you can make a new agreement," I shook my head continuously as sadness overwhelmed me, and he continued, " You can have kids and live a full healthy life..." I gripped the collar of his kimono, as I leaned my face into his chest, tears soaking the white material. I had to tell him, He couldn't talk like this. Not right here, not while I was...

"Kyoga, you'd always be the only one for me, forever and always. I could never make the agreement with anyone else but you because-"

 ***Youtubesearch~ "Bane's Theme song (from the dark night rises)* (AN: may help if you look for the extended version and keep the volume on the lower side)**

At that very moment a flash of movement caught my eyes. An akayshi, who's body closely resembled Shinra's in stature, suddenly loomed over me. His long black tail and Okami ears made his blood red eye stand out in a most terrifying way, as it glared back coldly at me. I pulled away at his sudden intrusion, Kyoga leaning forward trying to place himself in between me and the man, as best he could.

I shivered unconsciously as his blood thirsty eye, made Chikage's eyes as sweet as a kitten's. A dark sword hung on his waist, and remnants of an old scar laid just beneath an old worn eye patch. Unlike the guys, this man had no signs of injury or even a scratch on him or his cloths.

I heard Shinra's mumbled curse behind me, as the other guys also pulled against heir restraints. However, my eyes were locked with his as I sat unmoving, like a rabbit caught in the eyes of a wolf. In his blood red eye I could see my reflection and the flash of recognition cross my face as the blood drained from my cheeks. My eyes followed his slow and exaggerated movements as he knelt down in front of me.

My blood echoed in my ears it was beating so loud, I could barely hear Kyoga's loud growls resounding off the hard walls that surrounded us.

"You recognize me." He said quietly as he looked back into my eyes, our faces within just feet of each other. Fear had a vise grip me so tight, I felt like I couldn't pull air back into my lungs as I answered him in a breathless whisper. This was the man from Asami's past and Akio's brother, Reiji. Nothing about Reiji had changed except the patch that was added after Akio marked him a traitor to the Okami clan and banished him. The mark under his patch was also a curse that had been laid upon him, so that he could no longer approach the inside of the village nor Asami.

That was why the attacks only happened outside the village. With his age, Reiji was obviously more lethal than the average akayashi and had a motive to be. The redness that echoed in his eye like blood, an old remnant of Akayashi history that hadn't been seen since Akio forbid devouring human blood. It was no mistaking this person for who and what he was.

"Y-yes." I couldn't move under this man's gaze. For the first time, I felt pure terror. Reiji's hand came up and cupped the side of my face, making me look up at him even more as he peered into my eyes. Kyoga's growls were loud, but to me everything seemed to move in slow motion, sounds were dulled, everything was blurred except for the person who knelt down in front of me.

"You resemble her so much," He began his voice low, his words slow, "But you smell soooo much sweeter." Reiji licked his lips as he brought his face closer to mine.

I pulled my face, defiantly out of his hands. His finger let me go, but his eyes were amused. He felt my fear, had seen it in my eyes; Reiji knew what I knew. Tears threatened to overflow again as hope seemed to leave me in this dark cold room.

"Get you hands off her!" Kyoga's hard voice rung in my heart. My eyes slowly turned back in his direction, the sight that awaited me there stopped my heart if it was still beating. Never had I seen anyone look quite a deadly as Kyoga did in that moment. In that one moment, Kyoga was very much an akayashi to me.

 **Kyoga's POV**

"You still don't get it do you?" Reiji said as he stood back up. "This human has weakened you in ways that you have yet to understand. You've have no clue just what kind of power akayshi once had." I answered him with a snarl that echoed harshly off the walls. I stopped cold as Ayame flinched, her eyes wide with terror of more than just Reiji.

"Akayashi used to be powerful." Reiji said as he moved quickly over to Ayame. I pulled against the ropes that bound me, unable to pull his hands out of her hair and smash my claws into his face. Reiji proceeded to pull Ayame up by her hair, her throat letting out a cry of pain that aroused the demon inside of me into a murderous rage.

"Their power was something that you could't even imagine now." His voice was hard, and unconcerned that I was just a rope away from mauling him where he stood. His mouth curved just slightly into a smile, "But I'm about to show you.". Reiji flicked his wrist, sending Ayame flying across the room, where her back slammed up against the wall. The breath rushing out of her lungs upon impact as she fell to the ground.

My eyes never left her as she struggled to catch the breath she had just lost. _"Breathe, Ayame!"_ I called out inside my head. My heart throbbed in pain, my muscles aching being unable to protect her. I breathed a sigh of relief as Ayame finally took a breath after several minuets.

"Damn you, bastard. If you're so powerful, then why not be a man about stand leave the girl out of it?" Miyabi cursed Reiji pulling against the ropes between us.

Reiji hadn't moved as he just watched me, with his soulless eye. The power that radiated off him was tinted black as it twisted under his demonic power. It was clear, Reiji had powers that couldn't compare. The way he moved, the way he attacked, was unworldly; the soulless predators that akayashi used to be.

The legends that had been passed down for generations, had once described great powers. That akayashi's used to be able to make a mountain collapse with one blow, was something that I had always choked up to as an old man's exaggeration. However I believed Reiji could just about do it. Our eyes held, glaring, each one reading the other.

"The 'girl' is the root of the problem. Do you know what will happen if you pull a weed but don't pull out the root?," He asked, eye dead of any emotion, like he was telling us something that was obvious. "It festers and regrows, making a bigger problem than what was originally there. By removing the problem, children of the night of all kinds can regain the honor that they once had years ago. The age of weakness and shame forgotten."

"You're wrong." My ear flicked quickly towards the small breathless voice. Ayame stood on unsteady feet, her arm cross over, grasping her shoulder as she glared back at Reiji. Her long hair fell around her face and floated with every pant that she let out. My heart stopped.

 **Ayame's POV**

I breathed out heavily. I glared at the Ayakyashi before me, Kyoga was the strongest person I knew. I had to believe that, did believe it. Looking back into Reiji's eyes felt like looking into the eyes of the devil himself, evil literally rolled off him in waves.

That's when Reiji's laugh echoed through out the room. I blanched as his face iced back over. He moved towards me, taking his time his eye piercing me like one would a butterfly for a collection. His slowness in the way he stalked me, scared me the most, as I tried to keep my knees from shaking under me.

Reiji came arms length away from me, he slowly reached out his hand to grasp the hair that had fallen over my shoulder. He brought it up to his nose as he took in a deep breath. His eye flashed open to me then.

"I have a fetish for scents." His voice was quiet, the statement practically harmless, however Reiji obviously knew what those words meant to me. I felt the world around me vanish, my body running cold. I had never felt more violated than in that moment.

Reiji's eyes held mine, my emotions raw and a laid out for him to read. I watched as his eye darkened as they read the emotions that were so clearly spread out on my face. A blood thirsty look with a crude twist, knocked the breath out of me again.

"Your face… I like it… frozen with fear. I am going to take this real… slow." He said, his voice dropping several degrees. He realized my neck and I gasped for breath. Something hard connected across my face.

I felt the pain only after I crumbled onto the ground, my head rolled with the force of the impact. I felt sick, as blood pooled in my mouth from my lip.

"Ayame!" Kyoga cried. He moved towards me, but his bindings kept him at bay.

I looked back up at Reiji walking towards me, red eye glowing. He remained in between me and the guys, slimming my chances at reaching them. However I wasn't as worried about me as I was about my child inside me. I fought the urge to bring my hand to my stomach, but I had to protect this child.

"Hurts doesn't it?" Reiji says squatting down next to me, his hand rubbing my swollen cheek. Tears that I could not fight back pooled at the corners at my eyes. I hated this man's guts for all he was worth.

"Aw, well I can't do anything about that. However, soon, you'll be dead. So just try to bear with me ok." He cooed at me.

Reiji's hand tightened like a vise grip around me, cutting off my airway again. He easily lifted me into the air as I dangled from his arm for a moment before he tossed me across the room like I would a rag doll.

My head connected with one of the mirrors that lined the back wall, making it shatter around me like rain. I fell to the floor of glass, a warmth flowing across my scalp to where it dripped onto the floor. Every part of me hurt. How was I going to get out of this?

A roar like no other echoed dully in my ears, Miyabi's voice laced with enough venom to kill someone a hundred times over as he sputtered a whole list of profanities towards Reiji, Yukinojo's icey atmosphere on my skin, dulled as blood dripped from the back of my head and onto the floor. The sound of them, like a hazed beat of a drum as they shattered on the ground. The heavy smell of blood and iron, making my stomach turn grotesquely.

I pushed myself up from the floor as Kyoga screamed. The shards of glass cut into my hands and knees. In a flash, Reiji was above me, his foot coming down on my hand, pressing it into the glass. I gritted my teeth and shut my eyes at the pain but not so much as a simper escaped my throat. I wouldn't give him the satisfaction of hearing me cry out.

"Such a weak creature, but I can say that your blood is of the finest quality, it's a shame to waist such finery." he laughed. My body shook under me, I couldn't be this weak. I felt a hand run through my hair, gripping it by the roots, Reiji pulled me up to where I was face to face with him.

"You will be the last human with such a delicacy of blood to run throughout your veins. It's a shame-" I spit in his face, a murderous rage flowing through me. Reiji cold eyes stared back into my heated one. I swore then that I would find a way out of this.

It's like it happened in slow motion then, I saw his hand move back again, this time in a fist that was aimed directly towards my stomach. My long hair gave me an advantage as I twisted in his arms, his hand colliding with my ribs. I heard a crack, and found my body was air borne again as I slid back onto the glass shattered floor.

I balked at the pain that ripped from my side, I couldn't breathe. I focused on taking in a breath and managed to get it back, but every breath I took now was very painful, and it dawned on me that he had broken my ribs. I rolled onto my side feeling glass sicking into my leg. I gritted my teeth, as I grasped it.

"Ayame!" I heard the cries as I pulled out the glass. I was loosing too much blood, my body wouldn't take much more of this and I was dangerously close to hurting not just me.

I pushed myself up again tang it slow and minding my broke ribs that screamed in protest, and stared down Reiji. I took deep breaths to control the pain I was feeling. Blood dripped from me everywhere, nauseating me. Kyoga's mark burned against my neck.

 _Asami please help me!_ I thought to myself, I wasn't the kind to go down without a fight. Then all of a sudden my blood felt like it was flowing backwards. It was painful, my blood boiling beneath my skin scorching me from the inside out. What was this?

Reiji walked towards my staggering body, Reiji gripped me by my hair again and dragged me up on my knees, when suddenly something zoomed passed us. A streak of red flowed over Reiji's cheek, where the thing has zipped by. His cold eye cut into confusion as he brought his fingers to the line of blood that rolled down his jaw.

His eyes cut back towards the guys. Kyoga, was still glaring bullets at Reiji, but he was grasping for straws. Some of the shattered glass had spilled over the entire floor and Kyoga had somehow tossed a shard like a knife at Reiji.

"You're really testing my patience." Reiji warned Kyoga, his eyes glaring back at Kyoga. Kyoga chuckled dryly.

"You think you're going to change our minds by killing her. YOU"LL HAVE TO KILL ME BEFORE I TURN MY BACK ON AYAME!" Kyoga yelled back in retort. My eyes flew wide open.

"K-Kyoga…" my voice nearly more than a whisper. I was speechless. Of course, it had not been the first time that I had heard these words, nor Reiji for that matter. Akio's voice rang in my mind as loud as Kyoga's voice rang in my ears.

My eyes were locked on Kyoga, when I heard a 'tck' from the man in front of me. His flaccid facade gone, a look of rage ignited over his face. Kyoga's words had hit a nerve, as the memory of Akio's words before Akio got the upper hand in their fight laid out behind his red eye.

Reiji, however, never did let go of my hair, as he pulled me behind him as he approached Kyoga, glass cutting into my legs. The two men stared each other down, Kyoga showing no signs of backing down. I pulled against Reiji's hand to some how get away, but it was useless as his knuckles turned white around the ends of my hair.

Reiji's face slowly began to change, he was losing his resolve. It was like everything happened in slow motion then. Reiji's hand came up, claws shooting out.

My body moved on it's own, I jumped in front of Kyoga, a pain like white iron fell across my back knocking the breath out of me. I fell against Kyoga as I felt my strength leave me. In the background I heard a scream, and then someone very close to me, calling out my name. I couldn't move and I couldn't focus as I held myself against Kyoga, a new warmth flowed down my waist.

I focused on the person calling my name, trying to gain a sense of my surroundings. The moment I did though, I wished I hadn't as I coughed up blood, and I realized I had been empaled by Reiji's claws. The voice that had been calling out to me had been Kyoga. My body shook under me as the pain truly began to register to me. I clenched my teeth to keep myself from crying out, the wound was very deep.

I looked up, at Kyoga as worry consumed his face. It was the most beautiful sight that I had ever seen, loved poured out of me in the very moment as I smiled up at him. He was ok, that was all that mattered to me.

"Stupid girl, why did you do that?!" he asked as he looked at me, his eyes angry. I laughed at his question, the real reason was why wouldn't I do that? He was the love of my life, the father of our child, I couldn't just let him do everything.

"So I can do this anytime I want." I said as I kissed him with everything I had. If anything I wanted him to know just how much I love him. Kyoga slowly returned my kiss, my body feeling hotter as I felt something I hadn't ever felt swell up inside of me.

Suddenly I felt the energy leave my body, and I couldn't keep myself up anymore as Reiji's claws disappeared from within me. I fell away from Kyoga when a pair of warm arms caught me. I pulled my eyes open once more, to see Kyoga leaning over me before I passed out.

 **So I hope that you guys are still enjoying this story. Please favorite, follow and comment or send us a message. We both love hearing from you guys! Have a happy turkey day! I'm heading out! :) ~WBI**


	12. Chapter 12

**OMG! This chapter, you guys are in for a treat! Sorry about the wait for it though, it took some time to work out all the kinks and to make sure we presented it with our best foot forward. I am also sorry about not getting this out in time for Christmas, you'll forgive us won't you? We did make this chapter longer than any of our other chapters, I wanted you guys to get a good look into what was going on! Again we look forward to you reading it and telling us what you think! Merry late Chistmas, everyone! Please enjoy!**

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 **Kyoga's POV**

I was shell shocked. Just when Reiji attacked, Ayame was clinging to me. Claws had run though her and just into my abdomen, our blood mixing together. The smell of her sweet blood spilled sickly sweet as it ran down in-between us. I hadn't even seen her move.

My eyes never left her figure as she clung to my chest, not a sound escaped her lips in pain. Anger flowed through me, she couldn't be dead. Tears of relief gathered in my eyes when I heard her cough.

I felt her body tense up underneath me, perhaps from the pain. Then she looked up at me. Her deep, warm, chocolate brown eyes burning with happiness as she smiled up at me. My system shot straight into hyperdrive as her smile burned bright, making my heart leap and drop at the same beauty and horror of her smile as a pair of Okami claws were buried in her back. The image forever burned into my mind. I was intensely angry, and at the same time incandescently happy.

"You stupid girl, why did you do that?" I asked in a whisper, trying hard to keep my voice from breaking. Her answering laugh sounding, like the summer wind chimes, had enough power to stop my heart. This small fragile human girl, handled me like putty in her small dainty hands. She came into my world and lit a fire, that I simply could not put out. I couldn't be without her, not ever. Even when she died, I could never take another.

Without warning she pulled herself closer, her small slender arms somehow finding a way to pull us even closer, her eyes enrapturing me body and soul.

"So I can do this anytime I want." Ayame said, answering my rhetorical question as her lips laid claim to mine. I immediately returned the kiss, ravishing the feeling between us. Feeling her warm lips move against mine, stirring the demon inside me.

Then my hands were loose, the rope's binding power gone. At the same moment, Ayame fell away from me, the strength leaving her body as Reiji roughly, ripped his claws out of us.

"Ayame!" My arms moving instinctively to catch her. Leaning over her, I moved us away from Reiji's claws and to the opposite end of the room. The other guys followed, after breaking the rope the bound them.

Looking down at the girl in my arms, I called her name over and over again, but she didn't respond. Her normally blushed skin now alarmingly pail; she was loosing too much blood.

"Let me see her." Samon said, taking Ayame from my arms. I growled at him, but Samon paid no mind. Samon began pushing his energy into her, all I could do was watch, when the sound of a sword unsheathing caught my ear.

Reiji stood with his black sword at his side. Blood dripping from the claws on his other hand, Ayame's blood. A rage like no other filled me, as he licked her blood from his claws. I had never stooped to killing another person, but Reiji would be the one I wouldn't think twice about. The demon in side me roared in unison, craving the feeling of his blood on my claws, as he licked the claws tainted with Ayame's blood.

I turned facing him off, the others following suit. Miyabi stood at my side, I could feel the rage rolling off him in waves just like mine. As canine brothers, it's something we both instinctively new together. I could tell just how deeply he cared about Ayame, and how much his own inner demon demanded his blood. Yet somehow I could tell that even though he deeply cared for Ayame, despite all his lewd jokes, he respected what Ayame and I had.

Miyabi nodded at my gaze, one which I returned. I trusted Miyabi with my life, that had not changed. He protected Ayame in every way I would, his kitsunebi would burn until his dying breath.

I looked back on Reiji, just this one time I would become a monster as the humans sometimes accused us as. Just this one time, I would taste blood on my fangs. After glaring for just a moment at each other, I shot at Reiji, unleashing my claws on him.

 **Ayame's POV**

I felt heavy, I couldn't move. I swear I hadn't been gone for more than a minuet. My blood warmed and boiled under my skin. A power that I had , but never acknowledged before flowed through me. I felt the power that the guys had always talked about rise within me. The sent of Iris' in bloom from when I was a kid traveling with my parents tickled my senses.

 _I stood in a field looking at me as a little girl, my hair braided sweetly over my shoulder, a yellow sun dress draped over my shoulders. Flowers had been braided into my hair by my mother, my chocolate brown eyes looked up at me in wonder. I could here my parents laughing in the background somewhere when the wind rushed through the field, my vision turning and spinning. The little girl Ayame no longer stood in front of me, instead Asami stood where the girl once was. This field, it was the same one from my dreams!_

 _I looked at her, neither one of us saying a word as the wind blew gently, like wolfs running through the grass. A gentle smile touched her eyes, her eyes darting off to the sides where four other girls that I knew but also didn't. Another life, another time. Each one of them, loved an akayashi from each of the clans, each one a child of first light. It was in them that mononoke village was birthed. Then it hit me. What I was meant to do. I wasn't simply meant to give birth, I was to enrich the village, protect it and make it prosper. My role was different from Kyoga's but just as important._

 _I felt the power within me bloom, making the scent of Iris flowers around me intensify. Asami, returned her eyes back to me, her hand stretched out towards my chest. When her hand connected with the blood that was still pouring out from my wound, a new scent caught the wind, chrysanthemum. It mixed with the scent that poured from mine._

 _Then the other girls from other clans reached their fingers towards me. Each one adding a new aroma to the air, a vision of the men that had joined to create the mononoke village flashed before my eyes. Violets of the Yukibito clan, lemon grass of the Oni clan, cherry blossoms of the Tengu clan, and jasmine of the Kitsune clan rushed through my senses. The vision around me swirled again until all that I could see where mixed colors and the scents that surrounded me._

 **Kyoga's POV**

I was about to rush in for another attack when Ayame's scent spiked. I felt the other guys and Reiji look over in Ayame's direction. The smell of sweet iris covered the room, the smell cleared my mind. In the sudden rush, I could faintly smell chrysanthemums, cherry blossoms, lemon grass, jasmine and lavender. Power rushed into me, healing my body, before long I was a full strength again. My power growing beyond what it had ever been, my claws becoming lighter in my hand, my ayakashi power rolling off me sweeping the floor like a light mist.

I used this opportunity, while Reiji was distracted by the sudden raise in the other's abilities, and leapt at him. I raised my now lightened claws that felt like a simple extension of my hand, aiming for his chest. I would rip out his heart.

"Ahhhh!" I roared as brought my claw down, Reiji quickly dodged but was caught off guard as my claws unleashed a rush of power. The attack hit him straight across the chest where three lines of blood gushed and splattered onto the floor. Reiji's eye widened in shock and in pain, and he let out a low deadly growl of his own.

I was on top of him again in a matter of seconds, my claws crashing into his as sparks were sent flying into the air around us. I twisted my wrist and dislodged his defenses before I raised my claws again, bringing them down over his head. Reiji was quick and dodged my barrage of attacks, my hand connecting with the floor where he just was, shattering the stone underneath. I looked around, having finally got him on the defense. Reiji had very good senses, he knew when danger was coming and when to get out of the way, however he wouldn't get that lucky today.

"Oh, no you don't!" Shinra yelled out as he was suddenly standing between Reiji and the door, blocking his escape. That wasn't my imagination, Shinra was way faster than usual. Shinra's eyes suddenly zoned in and within seconds, Reiji's sword was sent flying. Raising up his sword again, he brought the grip down on Reiji's shoulder that I had just hit, a loud crack following his attack as ayakashi power clashed.

Looking at Shinra's sword, it had drastically changed. The sword glowed white hot, like someone had left it in a furnace, however it was hard as bone. It flowed with his ayakashi power, the power surrounding space around it as it pulsed. If Shinra got anywhere close with his sword, it was most likely fatal.

"Not to shabby, little Oni!" I laughed. Shinra, who had been serious until now, scrunched his face in anger.

"Stop calling me that, you stupid wolf!" Shinra yelled back, his eyes leaving Reiji to took back at me. In that moment of weakness, Reiji moved to attack him, eye set to kill.

"Shinra, keep your head in the fight! You stupid Oni." Chikage whispered under his breath, his fan suddenly releasing a wind that tossed Reiji back against the back wall. Blood rushed from his wounds that were suddenly made deeper by Chikage's blow.

Chikage's fan rested in his hand, wind smelling of cherry blossoms ran through the feathers. The fan itself pulsed with a raw power, almost as it it were alive. Unlike Shinra's sword that openly displayed it's power, Chikage's fan was more subtle. Like talons, it gripped Reiji to the wall.

"What'd you-" Shinra yelled having heard Chikage's side gesture.

"Enough of that, Shinra. Pay attention." Yuki called out form over by Ayame as he froze Reiji's claws solid and shattering them. Now was my chance to kill Reiji, now that he was defenseless, I would make him pay for everything he put not just Ayame through but my whole village. It was over.

Before I could raise my claws to run Reiji through, my senses rang loudly as Ayakashi power gathered behind me. I turned to look in the direction my instincts were screaming from.

I noticed Miyabi's shaking form as he stood staring at his hands shaking uncontrollably, his eyes widened with power. I stared at him curiously, his eyes darkening as Ayakashi power began rolling off him in tremendous amounts. My eyes widened as a blood thirsty look clouded over his sense of reason, his demonic side taking over.

Suddenly his eyes flicked up to were Reiji was pinned to the wall under a barrage of attacks by the others. It was like he didn't see anything else, a predator who stealthily stalked his prey. Miyabi crouched down, I watched nervously as his muscles under his skin rippled impatiently. Before I could react Miyabi flew past me and thrusted his claws into Reiji's neck.

The guys around me, stopped as Miyabi stood front and center. Even they could tell that something was wrong, their eyes wide a new apprehensive tension locking their muscles. Miyabi's tail swished behind him pleasantly as his demon relished in the sensation of blood pouring from where Miyabi's fingers protruded into Reiji's neck. A sensation reverberating through Miaybi's spine as he shivered.

"So... this is what true power feels like."

 **Miyabi POV**

Power mixed with anger surged through my body, the sheer amount of it all almost overwhelming. My nose was filled with Jasmine and Iris, edging me on the brink of insanity. The fox demon in side of me roared with a destructive rage, a taste for blood pulsing from within it's center.

My eyes were wide, as I stood staring at my shaking hand. My hand's felt bone dry, as my claw ached with the need to spill blood. Images of Ayame bruised and broken clouded my mind, images of another woman… from another time, dark red spilling from her chest as I held her in my arms. The demon inside me yowled again impatiently, I wanted blood.

My vision flickered up, my eyes zeroing in on what I wanted. Pinned and helpless by the Tengu clan, I chuckled to myself at the irony of it all. I crouched, my muscled flexing, deliciously, under my skin as I readied to pounce on my target. I would make him pay dearly for every drop of sweet blood he caused to escape from her body; the amount of blood in his body could not surmount to the debt he had rung up simply by touching her sweet skin.

I was on Reiji with my claw dug deep inside his neck before anyone had time to blink their eyes. I reveled in the sight of Reiji's blood that trickled down his neck from where my claws, enjoying the feel of him trying to tear away my hand from his throat and keep his airway open, I smiled. Reiji's eye widened in fear, as he watched my smile grow tight. I tightened my hand around his airway, wanting to watch him slip in and out of death's door, over and over again.

"So… this is what true power feels like." I spoke out softly, the voice that came out of my throat was a far cry away from what I usually sounded like, but I couldn't care less.

"Miyabi," A voice called out to me, I turned towards the voice. I was half way tempted to just ignore whoever it was, but there was something there that made me turn. The person who had called out to me, was Kyoga, his green eyes were watching me wearily as he continued in a firm voice.

"Let him go. He's not yours to deal with." Kyoga said, his eyes narrowing. Our powers that surged around our bodies, now clashed against each other as they battled for dominance.

I chuckled as neither one of us was going to back down, both of us craved blood equally, but I couldn't allow for that. I tightened my hand even more, I would be the one to end this.

"No, I won't allow it. This bastard needs to pay for what he's done, I'm going to make him scream so loud that his cries drown out every scream of Ayame's that still echo inside my ear." I said my eyes falling back on Reiji that is still having trouble breathing under my claws.

Tell me, Reiji, is this the age of weakness and shame you were talking about, or is it _you_ that is weak and shameful?" Reiji's eye widened even more at my words, fear consuming it as my words toyed with his mind.

"Did you enjoy feeling her skin under your hand? Did you revel in her suffering as I am yours? Did have your fill at the sight of her blood?" I asked gently, making my voice sound even sinister. Reiji's eye flicked over to Ayame, who I could hear struggling to continue breathing. The sound ignited my hatred all over again.

"You're too late, that girl wont live to see the light of another day." Reiji struggled to form the words under my hand. I ripped him from the wall, and slammed his head back into it. The blow sent small rocks crumbling down upon us, the stone behind him cracking under my hand. The stone cut and unraveled his eye patch as it fell from his face down at our feet. Reiji's cursed eye stared back at me, as a black triangle contrasted heavily against the red of his eye.

The sight of the curse repulsed me. Marked as a traitor, how ridiculous. For their mistake, I will finish this. My claws grew longer with power and sharpened into a single point, my kistunenebi around me burned hotter as my thirst for his blood grew insurmountably as it became the only thing that mattered in the world to me.

"You are disgusting. Enjoy a lifetime in Hell!" I said without any emotion I raised my hand as Kitsunebi rushed around it. Someone called out to me, but I paid them no mind as I moved to deliver the final blow.

 **Kyoga's POV**

"Stop." I grabbed Miyabi's hand firmly with my own just as he was about to stab Reiji with his claw. The Kitsunebi burn my hand before they were extinguished. Miyabi's eyes flashed towards me as the cut into a deadly glare. His golden eyes, hardly golden anymore as they were filled with darkness from his inner demon.

"You dare stop me, wolf? In case you don't remember this bastard nearly killed Ayame. I'm doing you guys a favor." Miyabi lashed out with his tongue. I looked coldly at him, this was not the Miyabi I swore to fight next to and defiantly not the one who always found a way to cheer Ayame up when I couldn't. I shuddered at the thought of Ayame being anywhere near Miaybi as he was now.

"Believe me, I want him dead probably more than you do. However, as you are now, you're not doing it for her, you're doing it for you." I told him. Miaybi clenched his jaw, trying to refute my statement, slowly his eyes began to brighten slowly, the hard gold returning to their molten, warm state. Miyabi's eyes flickered back towards Reiji, who stared back coldly, enticingly, Miyabi's face scrunched with anger and desire to kill him burned anew.

"Ayame, wouldn't want that blood on your hands." I told him, Miyabi's face began to firmly resolve. This was not the man that I fought next to since we were pup and kit. Miyabi had always been strong because he was clever in ways no one ever expected him to be, but I wasn't foolish enough to believe that a part of Ayame's heart wasn't his, if he did this he would change forever. It had bothered me before, and I became jealous of the relationship that had bloomed between the two of them.

When I found Miyabi and Ayame together back at the castle, I reacted just as I had justly been expected to. But I see now that Miyabi truly cared for her in the same way I did, and he was the less fortunate one in that way, but that didn't mean that because I held Ayame's heart that she didn't care for Miyabi deeply in return. As her lover, it was my job to protect that part of Ayame's heart as well not just the part that I held.

I looked a Miyabi, his feeling written clearly across his face for once, if the table ever did turn and Ayame wanted Miyabi like she wanted me I doubt I would stop her from achieving that happiness. She was more to me than that, and seeing it from this perspective I couldn't forcefully cut him out of her heart either. So I couldn't let Miyabi become the very thing that would hurt Ayame most.

It was only a moment that passed in between us, as Reiji sensed our hesitation, and summoned a flame the wrapped around his body. Miyabi and I jumped back at the same time, the other guys standing next to us. Reiji's flame grew as it warmed the space around us. Yuki combated the sudden rise of the temperature of the air, but that would only work for so long as Reiji's flame grew hotter and hotter. I looked back at Ayame, a sweat forming on her knitted brow, her labored breathing turning into gasps as the air around us grew hot and dry, it was like breathing in he flames themselves for her.

I narrowed my eyes back at Reiji, flames surrounded him in an intense display of raw power. Looking into his eyes, was like looking into the eyes of a wild beast. Reiji, in a final attempt to destroy us, gave himself into the demon inside of himself. Reiji's face contorted, his shape transforming into something not human. Reiji's form shifted, his hands becoming claws, black hair grew over haunched muscles that lengthened as his body enlarged. His mouth elongated, rows of sharp teeth sharpened into points like pin needles glistened back, only Reiji's red eyes remained as they glared, deadly, back at us as Reiji's true form appeared.

Miyabi and I took stance next to each other, the other guys following suit beside us. I glanced over at the same time Miyabi glanced towards me. Words were not needed, we knew just how nervous the other was. In training they talked about an ayakashis who sometimes gave into their demon selfs, but it hadn't been seen in many, many years and never in a million years did we expect to face someone who did.

Teaching's from long ago played through my head. I narrowed my eyes again at Reiji's wolf form, this would not be an easy fight. I looked towards the other guys, it was clear that each of them to was concerned about how this battle would pan out. I extend my claws out as I turned again back towards Reiji, his red eyes locked on me. It was obvious I was the initial target, I would be pleasantly surprised if I made it out of here with my life, not to mention lightly scathed.

Reiji charged, his fangs bared as he aimed for me. I dodged and landed a few feet away, I turned to see a claw aimed straight for me. I took the brunt force of the blow as I was slammed up against the far wall. Reji blocked all of our attacks, and we were slowly running out of stem as we where all unable to turn the tables.

Then Reiji reared his head, flames ignited and grew exponentially. I looked towards Ayame and Samon just as Reiji's flame struck out.

"Ayame!" I screamed, there was nothing I could do to stop it. I watched as if life was rolling by in slow motion as Ayame and Samon were hit head on. Suddenly as the attack began, the flames were disbursed. Samon had quickly placed himself in between Ayame and the attack but even Samon's body was equipped to fully block an attack like that so suddenly. Samon's back was slightly burned, his energy shield having been blasted out by the intensity of the attack. I looked at Ayame, her body unhurt by the heat, I breathed I sigh of relief.

However, something grey caught my eye. Standing next to Ayame was a wolf that I didn't recognize. His front paw had been extended over Ayame's body, his head bent low as his bright blue eyes glared at Reiji's black wolf form his teeth. Something about the wolf itself didn't present a danger to Ayame, even though it's teeth were a mere few inches from her exposed throat.

I stared at the wolf's blue eyes in shock, thinking I had seen them somewhere before. I looked back and forth between the two wolf's who bared their teeth at one another. My eyes widened, I had seen these eyes before in a text from the Okami clan. I stared back as Akio and Reiji stood off against each other. Akio stepped over Ayame, diverting Reiji's attention away from her as the two of them circled the room. I moved over to check on Samon, who grunted that he was okay as he continued to heal Ayame saying that she was in much worse condition. At his statement I nodded, running my hand over Ayame's pale cheek.

I looked back at the two wolfs each one shifting to have a better advantage over the other. Then, faster than a bullet from a gun the two forces clashed. Teeth pulling at each of their throats, as nasty snarls sounded through the air. I stood on edge as I watched them, the hair on the back of my neck hackling up at the sound. Just watching this was a horror all of it's own.

In the beginning it was hard to tell which wolf had the advantage, but time soon did tell. Akio's claws racked themselves across Reiji's face that created an opening. Akio's teeth latched onto Reji's neck digging in as his powerful jaws did the rest. I quickly looked away, for one reason or another, weather it was because I simply didn't want to see it or the grief that I felt radiating off of Akio as he ended the life of his only brother. I held onto Ayame's hand as Reiji soon became nothing more than a bad memory.

Akio's energy changed and I turned towards him once more. His form took a more common form than before, with a face that I recognized as well as the other guys who simply stared speechless. Akio's blue eyes locked with mine as he spoke.

"I apologize that problems that I refused to fully face have cost you so much grief, clan head. There is no way I could ever apologize enough for that." Then his eyes drifted down to Ayame. His eyes drank her in, he looked tired.

"That girl has amazing powers, you would do well to take care of her." Akio told me, our eyes holding each others for a moment more. I nodded to him in acknowledgment and thanks. Akio gently returned my answer with a nod of his own, and then he was gone.

Just as I was about to turn back to Ayame, it happened. Samon and I were suddenly tossed across the room as all chaos ensued. Ayame's normal scent of Iris shot through the roof, burning my nose. I shielded myself against the radiating pulsation Ayame emitted.

"You're freakin' kidding me!" Shinra grunted as he shielded himself as well. "It's always one thing after the other with you two!" I ignored him, as I looked back at Ayame. Had she always held this much power? I had no idea what had triggered her, and I had no clue as how to stop it.

Power rolled off her in sheets, like over half of the power she wielded had been sealed away and only small amounts of it had been seeping through the seal after she had awakened. It was like standing outside in a hurricane and I could barely keep my footing. Ayame's body was lifted from the floor, a light had taken over her eyes. I called out to her, but it was like she couldn't hear me. The power within her clashed, as lightning sizzled in the air around her. She was loosing control, her power overriding her.

I pushed against the waves that crashed into me like twenty foot waves. I could hear her heart beat, as it beat wildly inside her chest, causing her wound to open once again. If this didn't stop, if she didn't regain control, she could die.

 **Ayame's POV**

All I could understand was my body was hot, I felt like something inside of it was ripping me apart. Tears gathered in my eyes as each pulse of my heart unleashed a new wave of pain upon my body.

My body ached all over, every inch of me pulsating in pain with each wave. The power running through my veins was great, greater than I could have ever imagined. Before, I never acknowledged it, it was like a seal had been placed on me and when I had awakened under the blood moon, it was like just a piece of that seal had begun to slip.

Now with the seal seemingly gone, the power was out of control. Fear weld up within me, fear that not Reiji had been my undoing but myself. I grasped at it trying to control it, but it was like trying to hold back water with your bare hands, and I was drowning in it.

Not only that, but I was also worried about the child I was carrying. Tears flowed down my face, as I sobbed in fear, what if I had already lost it? I had taken a serious beating, been stabbed though my chest, surly bleed out, and now this. My hand shook, as my situation began to over whelm me.

 **Kyoga's POV**

A rush of power pushed me back, and I braced myself against losing anymore ground as I continued to call out to her. I looked at her, tears had begun to flow out of her eyes.

My heart broke at the site. I hated to see her cry, at times I had no idea what to do when she cried and her tears smelled heavily of salt that burned my nose. However painful for me, I treasured every moment her tears had brought me closer to loving her.

I used all my strength and pushed back. I reached out towards her curled body, calling out her name again. I was so close, and the waves that rolled off of her because stronger as the cut through my cloths and nicked my skin. Even if she killed me, I would find a way to save her, and I would never let her go. I grasped her hand and pulled her into my chest. I held her hand and brought it to my lips.

"Please, Ayame, come back to me," I spoke into her ear, tears of my own gathering in my eyes as I said this.

"Don't let go, not yet. Without you, I could never be a man worthy of anything in this world or the next. So as pitiful as I am, please, come back. Save me all over again." I kissed her hand, putting my whole heart into it, when a light consumed us both.

 **Ayame's POV**

I felt a warmth begin to cradle me, a scent I knew fluttered across my nose. I instantly knew who it was. I called out to him, although it seemed as if my mouth was disconnected and I couldn't speak. I tried opening my eyes, but they remained shut as my body pulsed in pain. I felt him holding my hand, I felt the strength of his arm as he held my waist to him. I cried out again and again, trying to find some kind of control when I heard him whisper into my ear.

"Please, Ayame, come back to me," I listened and my heart broke. Never in my life had I heard him sound quite like this. I tried calling out to him again, to tell him I was, but my voice was locked away somewhere.

"Don't let go, not yet. Without you, I could never be a man worthy of anything in this world or the next. So as pitiful as I am, please, come back and save me all over again." His breath tickled the top of my hand, and I felt his lips place a kiss along my knuckles, before everything stopped.

I opened my eyes, a whiteness surrounded me, with little speck of light floating around. A little speck of light floated down and rested on my stomach. The light was filled with Ayakashi power and that of Asami's. All that was left was a feeling, her feelings and they were fading.

A light brush of something touched my wrist, looking down I could see the fang Akio gave Asami beginning to fade. As the fang began to fade, I felt the power of my blood running through me. Not in the way it had, but controlled.

I thought over what had happened. I was a human trying to fit into a world of Ayakashi, it was an impossibility. I realized that Reiji had been true in some way, that our worlds could never mix. I felt just how far apart our worlds where… I was terrified. Then I knew, because of that fear I retracted from everything that had anything to do with Ayakashi, even the special blood… I had lost control.

I looked back at the light that rested on my stomach. Asami was right, I never acknowledged myself. I had a lot to look forward to. I relaxed and smiled as I watched the lights that surrounded me float towards the sky as the fang on my bracelet faded along with them and myself.

 **Kyoga's POV**

I held onto Ayame's hand as Samon, again pushed his energy into her. I watched as her wound began to come together, however that didn't ease my tension. For humans, our healing powers only had limited effects, but we could move until she was more stable. The other guys gathered around us, worried looks on all of their faces.

I kept my eyes on her's, silently begging for her to open them. Somehow, her powers had soothed over, her heart beating at a regular rhythm. Her hand was still cold, probably due to the loss of blood.

Ayame had become my weakness, I was haunted by the look of pain on her face as Reiji had beat her, nearly killed her. Until her eyes would open again, I felt that those memories would consume me.

Suddenly, her face moved. I pushed some hair out of her face, calling out her name gently. Her eyebrows knitted together, her fingers slowly closing to grasp my hand. Her breathing kicked in a notch, and I felt her pulse jump under my hand. Slowly her eyes opened, and moved straight towards me.

"K-Kyoga.." She called out weakly. Tears threatened to run out of my eyes as I looked into her deep brown eyes. I was so relieved as I hugged her loosely, since Samon was still healing her from the inside.

"Ayame-" Was all that I was able to get out as I held her. I swore I would never let go of her, I couldn't go on living if it wasn't with her.

"Kyoga… I can't breathe." Ayame choked out. and I slowly let her go, everything but her hand. I pushed some sweat off her brow, as I looked into her eyes again.

"You came back." I said just so her ears would hear, cupping her face in my hand. I saw her eyes return to their normal warmth, as she blessed me with one more smile.

"Of course I did, I have to save you all over again." She said, as she reached her hand out to cup my face as well. My eyes opened wide, I had said that when she was in that state, but I had never dreamt that she had heard it.

"You said that, right? It brought me back," She said holding my hand, "Seems we save each other." I couldn't take it anymore, if she talked anymore then I really would cry. I crashed my lips down on hers, swallowing all her smart remarks that I was sure to come.

I could kiss her for the rest of my life and be completely happy. I slowly licked her lips, begging for entrance, which she granted. I kissed her over and over again, memorizing her face with my lips.

I would have kept going had she not moved, her breathing ragged but only from that kiss. She nestled into my chest.

 **Ayame POV**

Kyoga's moth covered mine as I was about to say something else. I was shocked at first, never feeling this much passion coming from him all at once. Slowly I relaxed into the kiss, allowing him to take over. I knew the guys were all watching, but we both needed this. I felt his tongue trace over my bottom lip begging for entrance, his fang gently bitting my lip in its urgency. I easily granted it and he explored the inside of my mouth, and I struggled to hold back moans of pleasure.

My head spun as fast as a top, my breathing erratic, my heart pounding in my ears and ringing with my love for him. I eventually had to break away, having forgotten how to breathe, and I rested my head on his chest as he held me.

Then a thought came back to me as I drifted in and out of consciousness. There was something that I still needed to tell him. I fought against the undercurrent that was pulling me under. I heard Kyoga ask something in concern as he continued to hold me. I heard Samon reply about something about having lost too much blood and that we needed to move. Maybe that was why I was so tired, but I had to tell him.

"Kyoga…" I called out to him in a slur. I reached out for him, and his hand found mine. His voice was deep and it lulled me deeper into the dreams that I fought.

"Just rest for now, We're going home." He said and I felt the ground leave from under me. I struggled as now a rocking sensation had begun as Kyoga walked with me in his arms.

"Kyoga… wait…. I need to tell you… something…" I pressed on, defiantly losing this battle as my words slurred together. I pushed against his arms, trying to stop the swaying motion, yet even though I pushed with all my might, it seemed my effort went unnoticed by Kyoga. I glared at my hand that simply seemed to rest on his chest.

"Rest for now. We can talk later, beautiful." Kyoga said gently, a rumble reverberating through his well defined and very comfortable chest. Unfortunately I was gone before I could refute any of it.

* * *

 **All right! Well, whatcha think? I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter and will look forward to the next chapters to come. Keep tooned, because the next chapter is practically written and we are just working on a few more things. I'd also like to make sure that J-ninja receives a proper thanks, without her this chapter would not have been written this way and I just want you to know I absolutely adore your work! Thank you for being my Beta for this story! Lots of love guys! I hope that you enjoyed your Chirstmas , from the Moonlightangels!**


	13. Chapter 13

**Ayame's POV**

When I woke up, my body felt heavy. My head was groggy and I felt like something heavy was on top of me. I turned my head, trying to find an easier way to breathe, but it wasn't any use.

I gave up and opened my eyes sleepily. The light was soft, but it still hurt my eyes and I squinted. Looking around the room, I realized I didn't know where I was and a rush of anxiety hit me. I could tell through the window that it was dark outside, the light that had hurt my eyes before had come from a single paper lantern that laid close to me.

I moved to sit up, a weight anchoring my stomach and hand to the mat where I laid. My cloths had been exchanged for a loose fitting kimono. I realized that underneath the Kimono my chest had been wrapped delicately with gaze. My long brown hair was braided gently to the side in an elegantly, but the weight on my stomach was what had caught the most of my attention.

Kyoga had fallen asleep at my side holding my hand, his head resting against my stomach. Then the memory of what had happened flash in front of my eyes. The village had been under attack by an unknown attacker. I had come to the village to help Kyoga, and to tell him that we were pregnant, but we ended up having a huge fight. Then I left the village and placed myself in danger. Kyoga found me and I spilled out all my hurt feelings to him in that meadow before I was captured by Reiji. I had put the village, the guys as well as myself and our unborn child in danger.

Tears gathered in my eyes. There was no way on earth that I deserved the man that was asleep next to me. Where he was strong I was weak, where he was together, I was nothing more than a child. I thought about all the things that made us different, and I couldn't help but feel useless next to all the things he does for this village. I looked down at his sleeping form, whisps of brown hair curled slightly around his eyes.

I was sure that once he got to my side, he never left, waiting for me to wake up. I bit my lip, but the tears kept coming. Kyoga still didn't know that I was pregnant, what if I had lost it already? With all that I had put body through, I must have lost the baby. My heart broke at the thought and something inside me snapped, I pulled my hand away from Kyoga's trying to smoother the sound of my cries.

No matter how hard I tried to silence my sobs, Kyoga stirred next to me. I begged internally for him to go back to sleep, I didn't want to show him this side of me, yet I couldn't stop crying. I felt shameful for everything that had lead up to this. As a mother, I should have been more careful, and now it was too late.

"Ayame? Ayame, what's wrong?!" Kyoga called out to me anxiously when he finally came to. I cried, my throat too constricted to even begin getting the words out. Kyoga cradled me in his strong arms, and I felt even more guilty. My cries turned to full blown out sobs.

"Are you in pain?" He asked me as he pushed my bangs away out of my face as he looked down at me with worry. I shock my head no, to which I heard him take as sigh of relief and buried me deeper into his chest. I clung to him with all my might as my body shook with grief.

Kyoga rocked me back and forth, saying things like "I was safe," that "Everything was going to be alright." His words, meant for comfort, only made me cry harder. Soon Kyoga got the gist that his words weren't helping me, and settled to just let me cry myself out as he held me in his arms.

I cried for a long time, all the emotions I had been feeling, the stress, the fear, I let everything that I had been holding back out in those moments. I never deserved a man like Kyoga, he was always supportive of me, and he protected me fearlessly whenever the time arose.

My attention soon turned to him. I looked up into his warm green eyes; I had thought I had seen the last of these eyes. I remember hearing the battle more so than seeing it. I remember being run trough with him.

I pushed myself away from him a bit as I looked him over, trying to find anything that I could heal, any pain that I could relieve him of.

"Are you hurt, anywhere?" I asked as I pulled his Kimono down to where I was sure that Reiji had run him through. I looked down at his flawless abs, and not even a scratch was visible. I looked back up into his green eyes begging to know if he was hurt anywhere else.

"I am fine, we were more concerned about you. I'd thought I had lost you." He said as he cupped my face, as he gazed lovingly back into my eyes. Tears gathered in my eyes again, the reality of it hitting me full force. I had caused him grief.

"I… I am sorry. Because I am not an Ayakashi I don't know much about this world of yours, and because of that I have caused you nothing but trouble." I said rubbing my arms, casting my eyes to the floor away from Kyoga. All of this was my fault. I felt Kyoga's finger hook under my chin, making me look back up at him.

"Ayame, I should be the one to apologize. I made you worry about me because I tried doing it all on my own without considering your feelings. I knew that you wanted to help, but I didn't want to worry you with it," Kyoga said holding my eyes with his. "And you never cause me too much trouble. Everything about you, Ayakashi or not, is always worth everything to me."

"But I was the one who went outside the village without considering the danger I was putting everyone in. Im too much trouble for a clan head." I cried out, trying to take the blame for the trouble my blood has caused.

"Then cause me trouble, I don't care. I'll take whatever comes after us, as long as you stay by my side." Kyoga said, his green eyes baring down into mine. I shook my head, he wasn't understanding, he could have so much more, a woman who wasn't as vulnerable, someone he didn't have to look after as much and could stand on her own a bit.

"But what Reiji said-" I began again, when Kyoga's eyes darkened slightly at the mention of Reiji's name. Kyoga's thumb sealed my lips.

"Nothing Reiji said, can hold true to the happiness, I find in 'coupling' you." Kyoga said, his voice final, leaving no room for argument. I starred at him, his words having consumed all of me in one sentence. Kyoga's finger slid over my bottom lip, the action causing my lips to blaze and tremble after his touch. Kyoga's lips slowly and gently touched mine as I thought to myself, _There is no way that I could ever deserve this man._

"Don't ever thing that being too vulnerable is an issue for me. Vulnerability just makes things more precious… I really should just lock you up somewhere to where only I could see you." Kyoga whispered, his lips brushing softly against mine. His lips were gentle, kind, and loving... like I was breakable. I loved all these things about Kyoga but at this time…. I needed more.

I hesitated at first, and then I kissed him myself. Kyoga's arms tightened around me, I knew he needed this to. I listened as Kyoga's breathing hitched, his desire growing with mine. His hands danced across my skin, as my arms wrapped around his shoulders, each of us molding into each other.

Kyoga's fingers gently untied the kimono that was wrapped around me, and I felt the sensation of it falling from my shoulders. I brought my hand to cup Kyoga's face, as I pulled back to look into the eyes of the man who I whole heartedly loved.

Kyoga looked back at me, taking in my naked body that he had laid out in front of him. His eyes focusing of my wrapped chest. His fingers gently caressed the spot where Reiji had run me through. Being human, I was slow to heal and I would probably scar. Kyoga's eyes were locked on the spot, I watched as hate, and sorrow mixed in his dark green eyes.

I laid my hand over his. My wound pulsed, slightly underneath in irritation. As I laid my hand over Kyoga's, his tormented eyes met mine. There was no doubt that he blamed himself for what had happened to me.

"Kyoga, what happened was not your fault," I whispered, trying to take away his pain. His jaw locked and set into place, telling me he thought differently but I continued. "I jumped in front of you, I couldn't bare the thought of you dying. Don't hate this mark," I begged him, his eyes jumped back to mine seeking forgiveness that he didn't need but already had. "Even if the mark on my neck fades away one day, this scar will always tell the story of how deep my love for you is... its all the way through." I said,as Kyoga's eyes filled with unshed tears.

Kyoga, buried himself into my chest this time, with his shoulders quivering. For once I was at a loss of what to do, I had never before this seen him cry. Tears gathered in my eyes as I held him and ran my fingers through his hair, gently stoking his ears as he took refuge in my arms.

Kyoga calmed back down after a few minuets, but remained tucked away in my arms silently listening to my heart beat under his cheek. When he pulled away and readjusted my kimono I was confused, but then the door to the room slid open.

An okami woman stepped in after bowing first. I recognized her from the castle, however I had never met her before.

"My name is Momoe, miss Ayame. I've been taking care of your wounds." She politely introduced herself I nodded as she looked up at me.

"How are you feeling?" She asked. I told her that I was feeling fine and that I thanked her for looking after me. Her eyes moved between me and Kyoga as I thanked her. However I wasn't prepared for what happened next.

"Well, you should know that the baby is fine, and she shows no signs of complications." She said as if she believed we were aware. Kyoga, who had been sitting absent mindedly listening nearly chocked and the water he had been drinking.

"W-wait. What did you say?" He asked Momoe, not believing what his ears heard. I blushed, well this didn't turn out the way I had planned… well none of it had. But what Momoe had said took awhile for me to comprehend. She mentioned the baby, and said it was ok and no harm had befallen it. Tears gathered in my eyes yet again, that means, that I was still pregnant. Wait… did she just say 'she'?

Momoe was slightly taken aback by our reactions. As she repeated herself, and then apologized to me for ruining the surprise and that she believed that we both already knew. Kyoga had gone silent, staring at me. I slowly began panicking, as Momoe made sure that I was ok and left the room without adding anything else.

I blinked, and looked back up at Kyoga who had a blank look on his face. I felt guilty, but I really hadn't gotten the chance to tell him. I waited for him to say something, but he continued to stare at me, like he was looking at me for the first time… it made my hands sweat.

"How long have you known?" He asked, his voice on the harder side. I looked up at him, as the distance between us bothered me. This is defiantly not how I imagined telling him, I thought he'd be happier than this.

"I-I… The day after you left to come back to the village, Ikumi made me take a test at her place. I found out that day, but I really wanted to tell you, so I kept it to myself and I waited for you to come home. When I came to the village to tell you, the time just never was available. Kyoga, I am sorr-" I was cut short when Kyoga wrapped me in his arms again. From in his arms, I could feel him shaking again.

"Y-you really are pregnant?" He asked me, like he was afraid to believe it, but his voice was different… was he… happy? I smiled softly with happy tears gathering in my eyes.

"I am pregnant." I nodded and I felt Kyoga grasp my face in both of his before he roughly kissed me, happiness radiating from every inch of him as he held me close, kissing me over and over. Soon, Kyoga pulled back looking into my eyes, a question forming in his eyes.

"May I?" He asked looking at my stomach. I broke out into a wide grin and nodded again. Kyoga laid down next to me, resting his head just below my stomach, his hand coming up to gently stroke my slightly distended tummy. We stayed like that, with my hand over his and my other hand running my fingers through his hair and rubbing his ears like he likes. For a moment, I was happy to just stay like this forever with Kyoga as he slowly dozed off talking to our child.

Our happy ending didn't last very long when a commotion could be heard through the door.

"Ayame, are you-" Miyabi said before he threw the door open. Kyoga who had fallen asleep on my stomach glared at the kitsune. Apparently word travels fast in the village. Miyabi eyed Kyoga laying on my stomach.

"Looks like that rumors are true," Shinra says obviously enjoying Miyabi's reaction as he looks between Kyoga and me. Well, this is an odd turn of events. "Seems as you're too late, Miyabi."

"Shinra, lets be nice. This is a cause for celebration," Yuki says, "Miyabi was really betting on Ayame falling for him anyways, even though the odds stacked against him." I had no idea what they were talking about, but Kyoga just silently glared back at Miyabi. Was there some kind of rival between the two of them, it wasn't too long ago that they had that big fight. Where they ready to be in the same room together with me?

Suddenly, Miyabi casted his gaze down from Kyoga's, his face crestfallen, before he switched back into his normal jest.

"As long as Ayame's happy that's all that matters." He said looking at me, a confident grin spreading over his face. I felt Kyoga's hand tighten around mine.

"But you were just denying all the rumors earlier. Saying things like, 'That can't be right'." Shinra said trying to stay under Miyabi's skin. Miyabi crossed his arms across his chest and hid his hands inside his kimono.

"Little oni's don't understand the sacrifices of true love." Miyabi said turning his attention to jesting back at Shinra, who was slowly but predictably bright red.

"Congratulations, Ayame." Samon said still standing in the door way. I smiled at him, but Kyoga had yet to say a word. I wondered what was wrong. Did something happen between him and the guys?

"I think we've over stayed our welcome, guys." Chikage signed, taking in Kyoga's nonverbal gestures. What has gotten into him?

"Chikage, you were the one who suggested we come." Shinra blurted out, a blush bloomed on Chikage's face. I giggled at the familiar sight, I missed times like these. These last few weeks had been lonely, I half way felt back to normal seeing all of them.

"I was simply concerned about Ayame's well being, you were reading too much into it." Chikage said, defusing the situation Shinra had built up. Nice cover Chikage.

"Chikage's right, I'm sure these two would like a little time alone." Samon spoke up, even though I was grateful, I still blushed slightly at his words, "Ayame, We'll return to the shrine, I'll look after everything there. Rest up here and when two ready to come back, I'll cook up something nice for us to celebrate with."

"Thanks Samon, I really appreciate it." I said smiling. Samon flashed me a smile and nodded towards Kyoga before he rounded up the guys. Then I remembered something.

"Wait a minute!" I called out to them. five pairs of eyes shifted to me again. I fumbled for the words I wanted to say.

"T-thank you guys for everything. I mean from before. I am sorry I put you guys in a dangerous situation." I finally said bowing my head slightly.

"Don't worry about that. That's what we're here for." Miyabi spoke up, something in his golden eyes flickering. I had no idea what it was, but Koyoga seemed to not notice it.

"Besides, we did get something out of it after all!" Shinra said. I looked at him in confusion, as I heard Kyoga growl slightly. Seems that the guys just couldn't get out of the room fast enough.

"Huh?" I asked despite myself. I really didn't understand just what they could have gotten from that. Just as Shinra was about to explain, Yuki cut him off.

"I'm sure Kyoga can explain it to you, for now we really should be getting back." He pressed. Bewildered by his response I nodded as they left. I turned towards Kyoga, a multitude of questions filled my eyes as he looked at me. Kyoga sighed as he explained everything. I sat in shock, so Akio did come. I looked down at the hands in my lap, I could still feel the power within me flow calmly through my veins, but would I loose control again?

Kyoga's hand grasped mine, our skin tingling from just the lightest contact. I could literally watch the energy dance as it radiated from my skin, I watched as it wrapped around Kyoga's hand and up his arm before it disappeared. The power of the special blood was truly amazing, and I couldn't believe that I couldn't see any of this before.

I looked up at Kyoga, his green eyes seeming to waver in nervousness for some reason. I wanted to reach out to him, to ask him what was wrong but something held me back as I held his hand in mine.

"Ayame, I've tried to do so much on my own. As clan head, there are certain things I have to do, things that I believed that I wanted to take on alone." He spoke, his voice thick. My heart picked up speed, what was he getting at?

"When I met you, I tried keeping our two worlds separate in fear that something you didn't understand would hurt you, but..." Kyoga said as he reached inside of his kimono and pulled out a small box. My heart raced, was this really what I was thinking this was?

"I can't keep doing that anymore... will you marry me, Ayame?"

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 **:) LOL!**


	14. Final chapter! TT

**I am so sorry for the long wait! J-Ninja and I have been caught up with the tasks of everyday life and are now just getting back together to write. Honestly, I wanted to give you guys something to make up for being gone for so long without notice, and this is what we came up with. We hope you sit back and enjoy, and hopefully forgive us for our absence!**

 **NOTE: this may be a tad graphic for those special readers under the age of 12 years old. However, I promise it's nothing too** **obscene. So if you don't want to read about *SPOILER ALERT* ... child birth then I suggest maybe skipping this chapter.**

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 **Ayame's POV**

I screamed out as the pain ripped through my stomach. My forehead was covered in sweat as the rest of my body gleamed in natural oil. Tears rolled down my face as the women, including Kyoga's mother surrounded me, softly encouraging me.

I gripped Rin's hand as the pain receded a little, like the waves in the ocean's tides. I took a breath as I relaxed, I was tired and I wasn't sure I could do this. I looked down at the ring on my left hand and remembered the day that Kyoga had proposed to me.

 _"_ _I can't keep doing that anymore…will you marry me, Ayame?" Koyga asked as his burning green eyes looked into mine. I was frozen to the spot, my words caught in my throat. According to the Akayashi traditions, Koyga and I were all ready betrothed by the agreement mark, but here he was asking me the question I had always dreamed of hearing._

 _I watched as Kyoga's cheeks blushed, as he waited for my answer, becoming more nervous the longer I was struck dumb._

 _"_ _Did I not do it right?… According to Yuki… maybe I didn't ask correctly… man this really blows…" I heard him mumble under his breath as he fumbled with the situation. Kyoga had alway put my needs before his, however when he first heard about human proposals he had always dismissed the idea with the fact that we were already intended through the mark as part of the agreement. It had been the heat of many misunderstandings between the two of us._

 _I looked at him now, as he struggled to make his feelings clearer, a warmth spread over my chest as I smiled and threw my arms around him, catching him of guard as I ignored the pain run through my chest._

That night I had agreed to marry him, but it wasn't until weeks later that after I was healed and him and I were walking home through the forest together that he presented me with this ring on his knee.

The ring glistened as a green stone laid against the silver metal craftsmanship. It wasn't anything big or fancy, but the soul of the giver had been etched into every crevasse of the ring. The green stone was one that was strictly used for Okami, in a way was like a crest for each division of Akayashi had. The Oni had a black stone, the Tengu purple, Kitsunes Yellow, and Yuki's clan had a special stone that was made of ice that was found only up further north.

Kyoga told me that the green stone was known as 'Silva' and was the representation of the forest and grass that the wolves spirits dwelled within, and that it represented longevity and good harvests. Or in my case, he wished for us long life and a healthy childbirth.

Kyoga had spent a lot more time away from me while I was healing to take care of 'work' as he had put it at the time. Much to my dismay, he had spent a lot of the hours that I was sleeping to shape the ring itself. The silver metal was spun in Akayashi fashion and the likes I had only seen once before.

My mind shifted back to the memory of Akio giving Asami the bracelet that fateful summer evening. With the same decadence, Kyoga fashioned me a symbol from his own heart, one that laid with his people and one that encompassed me along with it.

I groaned as the pain shot through me again, as I gritted my teeth narrowly avoiding my tongue. I remembered that evening when we got back to the shrine and how happy everyone was for us in their excitement.

 _"_ _What's a …Godparent?" Chikage asked me. I looked at each of them. For some reason this made me nervous. What of they thought this was some dumb human thing and said no? I looked up at Kyoga and he nodded towards me in encouragement._

 _"_ _A Godparent is someone the parents would trust to help look after their child. Kind of like and Aunt or an Uncle would do, except the Godparents aren't related by blood." I paused as the guys looked at each other as I bushed and stood up from the table that was covered in food that Samon had made in celebration of our homecoming and our child. I bowed deeply to the guys as they stared at me._

 _"_ _I would be most honored if you all would be godparents to our child." I said awaiting their answers, my head still bowed._

 _"_ _I guess, it's not such a bad idea, who else is going to teach the little guy how to win a fight?" Shinra was the first to pipe in. I looked up bewildered that they were entertaining the idea. Shinra pumped his fists a few times like he was fighting off an invisible opponent, a huge smile planted on his face._

 _"_ _Little Oni's should work on themselves before trying to teach a child. Besides I'm obviously the best candidate for the job." Miyabi smirked at Shinra, again riling up the oni until he was red in the face._

 _Chikage sighed as he listened to the scene before him. "Both of you numb skulls, should think before you speak. Obviously he'll need someone smarter than you guys to keep him out of trouble."_

 _"_ _What you say, you preening peacock?" Shinra blurts out as things get even more heated. I watch as Chikage's eyebrow twitches at the new nickname._

 _"_ _Tengu…" Chickage corrected through his teeth. once again, like always, the table is up in a roar between the three guys as a sudden chill sweeps through the living room, as a blizzard states forming._

 _"_ _All of you need you calm down, you're making Ayame nervous. I'm sure she might regret having asked some." Yuki said as he sipped some of his tea his eyes cutting to the left where Shinra sat. I sweat dropped, a nervous smile planted on my face as the arguing only grew._

 _"_ _Yuki, would you mind letting off of the snow? I'm sure Ayame is getting uncomfortable." He said as he wrapped his arm, protectively around my waist. The snow slowly died down as Kyoga stood and addressed the guys more formally, just as I had._

 _"_ _All you you have qualities that differ from each other as night does from day. Having grown up and relied on each other over the decades have proven itself over time and time again, even when Ayame awoken, that it takes each of our differences to make our village function through the height of uncertainty. The humans have a saying that 'it takes a village to raise a child' , I have no doubt in my mind that it'll take all of us to raise this child of ours, and would be honored if you all helped look out for them in your own ways." Kyoga said with his head bowed._

 _I looked up at him shocked, as did the rest of the guys. Slowly each of the guys smiles slowly grew, each one of their personalities filtering through the simple astounding agreement to help look after our child together. My eyes focused back on Koyga, I had never expected them to each take to the idea so readily. My eyes watered, for the first time I felt like I could really do this._

 _"_ _All right! I'll be the first to tech him how to use a sword!" Shinra agrees as Kyoga sits back down beside me._

 _"_ _I'll defiantly have to teach him how to use sorcery." Miyabi says._

 _"_ _The boy will have to learn all about the human and the mononoke world. He'll have a lot of his plate, he wont have time for brawls of the ones you two talk about." Chikage adds as the arguing kicks, like old times._

 _Samon and Yuki suddenly ask us about names for 'him'. Kyoga and I look at each other, each reading what the other is thinking before we both burst out laughing. The table goes silent as Koyga and I recompose ourselves, the guys looking at us like we've lost our minds._

 _"_ _It's a girl." Kyoga says smiling as he rubs my tummy gently and affectionately._

 _"_ _Right, it's a girl…girl?!" Shinra, still caught up in the moment says, until it hits him and his eyes widen as he looks back at my tummy. I blush and giggle as he stutters redder than he's been all evening, the rest of the guys making fun of him, each to hide their own embarrassment or their own mistakes._

Now, I'm eating my words. I strain against the tightening of my bulging stomach as I push again for the thousandth time, it feels like.

"I can't!…" I cry out, Kyoga's mother comforts me as I toss my head back again, her hand sweeping my hair off my sweaty forehead.

"Yes you can, now come on and take a deep breath and push again on three. One… two…three!" she says. Once more I do as she commands and push as hard as I can. The women elders told me that it would be hard for me to give birth when the time came. It's just how my body would work with the blood of an akayashi running through my child. My body would naturally go through the process of giving birth, but my child would cling to me because of my powers.

I look at the clock again, I've been pushing for over an hour now and I'm wondering if this child will ever come out. If I had been in the human hospitals, I'm sure they would have had to have to cut my child out. Looking at the elder woman's face as she's helping me give birth, I can tell she worried about me being too tired to keep pushing.

I relax again, feeling hopeless, as tears roll down my cheeks. Kyoga's mother is still at my side.

"Ayame, you are doing so good. The baby is almost here, we can see her, you're almost through. I know it doesn't count for much since I'm not your real mother, but you're such a strong girl and I will be right here with you! Don't give up!" She cheers me on, I see so much of my own mother in her. Instantly I'm filled again with the strength to keep going.

"Don't be ridiculous! You have always been so much like my own mother, I see so much of her through you. You've always helped keep me going! I'm so very thankful that Kyoga has a mother like you." I tell her as she uses a towel to wipe my face and neck of sweat. Tears fill her eyes as she hears my words and squeezes my hand that I'm holding.

This pregnancy had been rough, with both me and Kyoga having to adjust to not only living together in the mononoke village but also with my growing stomach. There had been many times were I'd throw up my hands and I had went to my mother-in-laws house to escape the feuds between us. Both her and her sister helped me understand Koyga more, bit by bit. Kyoga's mother had called them 'growing pains', and would hear me out and by the end of the day we'd be laughing about her own early marriage problems. And here she was once again, helping me like my own mother.

I leaned into her while I rested in between my contractions. One of the good things about Kyoga's mother was she smelled similar to Kyoga. This alone brought me great comfort.

"Ok, Ayame on three. One… Two… Three!" The elder counted down. Lifting I heaved a great push as I was once again thrown back into a sea of pain.

 **Kyoga's POV**

I cringed against the cries of agony from my wife. I waited outside, pacing as the minuets turned into an hour. The elders told me that it is difficult for a girl with the special blood to give birth, but I had never imagined the amount of pain she'd be put through because of it. My father and my sister waited outside with me. My sister comforting me and my father encouraging me.

About 30 minutes into the birth, the other guys showed up offering their support. It was obvious as time went on that that Ayame was getting tired, and with it the risk that she would be too exhausted to keep going.

My mother was in there helping with the birth, but I half way wish that I would be of use, however the elders forbade males to help with childbirth. Ayame wasn't thrilled with it but she said she would be fine with it if my mother helped as her support. In a way Ayame saw my mother as her own.

I was a nervous wreak, as I paced the front of the castle.

"Kyoga call down, fretting about it this much isn't helping anyone." My father said as he sat against the wall. My sister nodded as she agreed with him, saying that Ayame was a strong girl and that it would take a lot more than this to bring her down.

"But if it takes too long-" I began only to be cut short by my own father.

"It'll take as long as it takes, like Kohana said, Ayame's strong. So have faith in your wife, she will not give up." He said. I tried to take comfort in his words, but I was still nervous.

As the night rolled on, the full moon high in the warm summer sky, the guys making jokes and bets about how long it would be before I jumped off the deep end. I tried not to hear Ayame's cries and prayed to the gods for the best, a happy wife, and a healthy child.

 **Ayame's POV**

I pushed hard again, doing what I had to as my contraction stopped. I slumped back again to get ready to push again, when a sudden cry rang through the air. My heart seemed to have stopped and sputtered into high gear as something warm was placed onto my chest.

I looked down, surly there was a bundle laying against my skin. Brilliant white ears and tail greeted me, a brown spot on the trip each ear and tail. The bundle was a warm pink thing, that curled perfectly over my chest. The child's eyes began to open, with an even more brilliant green with brown flakes looked back at me.

I felt like I couldn't breathe as we looked at each other for the first time. Time seemed to have stopped, the pain and fatigue seemingly gone within an instant, and all that was left was love and admiration.

Tears gathered in my eyes as I looked down at the tiny girl that was beyond any beauty that I had even known thus far. It was obvious that Kyoga was going to have his hands full fighting off the boys that would surly come after her, that much I could already say.

Then the world started again. I looked up at the beaming woman beside me as she gazed at the child as she would her own. I sobbed into her as she told what an excellent job I had done. This tiny girl both scared me and excited me at the same time, so much of Kyoga… and … so much of myself, that I didn't expect.

I smiled through the tears as I looked down at her again as Kyoga's mother wrapped the child in a pink cloth that she had graciously made for the occasion before handing her back to me, kissing me on the forehead as she did so.

 **Kyoga POV**

As soon as my mother joined us, a thrilled smile plastered permanently across her face. My nerves died down. Ayame had done it!

"You had better thank that girl in there for what she's just given you. Your work is just now beginning, my son." She said as she walked over to my father. I didn't wait nearly as long as I should have to properly thank my mother after simply giving her a quick kiss on the cheek, before making my way to where Ayame was.

I eagerly thrust open the door to see my wife holding a small bundle in her arms, with tears still clinging to her eyes. She glowed radiantly down at the package in her arms before her soft brown eyes met mine. Of all the times to be nervous, I found my heart nearly beating outside of my chest as I walked towards her. My hands shook as I neared closer, what my mother said to me outside clinched my stomach as I kissed my exhausted, beautiful wife.

I looked down, and that was the end of it. I knew then what my mother had been talking about. Ayame softly pulled the blanket that surrounded the bundle in her arms to reveal a child with hair as silver as the moon itself, ears tipped with the same shade of brown as my fur. The child blinked and looked up at the woman who had woken her from her brief slumber revealing the brightest green eyes that I had ever seen. My heart stopped in my chest, she was beyond beautiful as she matched Ayame's facial features to a tee.

Tears gathered in my eyes as Ayame handed her to me for the first time. So warm and so tiny, and she smelled of Iris' and dew drops in the morning. I looked back Ayame and pulled her in close as I held two of the most beautiful girls in the world, and thanked Ayame over and over again.

 **Ayame's POV**

I watched closely as Kyoga once again feel in love... all in a matter of seconds of laying eyes on Akemi. This tiny girl had him wrapped around his finger faster than I ever did. I felt happy and jealous at the same time as she enveloped his whole focus.

I watched as his eyes began to water before he pulled me close while still holding our little miracle safely in his arms.

"Thank you…. Thank you so so much, Ayame." He said his voice thick with emotion. Even though I couldn't see his face I could tell he was crying in relief and joy and love. I felt tears of my own begin again. We had a long road ahead of us, but without a doubt I was sure we'd make it together.

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 **As you might have guessed, this is the last chapter of this story. And as you see this is the return of the silver wolves! If you want to see a grown up version of Akemi, then refer to our avatar. Hopefully I can get up the drawings I have made of Akemi and have them in our image manager for you to view at your** **leisure. Also, please, please, please let us know what you thought of the story as a whole in addition to this last chapter. I might consider writing a story for Akemi, if we have so many people interested in reading her story. So fingers crossed for those of you who do wan to read her story... I honestly think it might be an interesting bunny to write out. I swear the plot bunnies might just hold me hostage and make me write it regardless... but IDK. I really want to hear from you guys thoughts and ideas about what you would like to see happen. I look forward to hearing and working with you! Best of luck! and Thanks so much for supporting our story! Bye-bye! 3 ~WBI**

 **NOTE: I do not own the image I picked to depict Akemi's image used in our avatar picture. I do not own the entitlement of EITML. This story was purely fan made and I do not receive any profits from this story or the image of 'AKEMI'.**

 **However, I DO own the pic of Kyoga and Akemi as a young girl on his shoulders, and the other** **hand drawn pics that I may post later. Please do not take my pics and use them for any scandalous or unintended use as they are works of art. These were fan made in relation to EITML and my story.**


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